A Journeys End Version 2
by andrewjameswilliams
Summary: Rewrite of A Journey's End. Four years after the destruction of the colonies Lee Adama has an encounter that will change everything for both the colonials and the Cylons.
1. Prologue

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A Journey's End

Authors Note: This is a revised and hopefully improved upon version of the original story.

**

* * *

Prologue**

If there was one thing in the universe that Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama hated more than the Cylons it was boredom. Especially the mind-numbing boredom that you got on a long-range patrol ahead of the ragtag fleet of ships that held the few pitiful survivors of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol.

Lee understood why it was necessary to patrol the space ahead of the _Galactica_ and the rest of the fleet; they had to make sure that the Cylons were not waiting in ambush. To complete the genocide they had begun four years ago, when they had returned from nowhere, more advanced and more powerful than ever before, and launched a massive assault on the Twelve Colonies.

In a few short hours the Cylons had carpet bombed everyone of the Twelve Colonies with nuclear warheads and reduced the once mighty Colonial Fleet of corvettes, frigates, destroyers, cruisers and battlestars to a single old battlestar that had been due for decommissioning. Now the _Galactica_ the last of the battlestars was the solo guardian of what was left of the Human race as they moved deeper and deeper into unknown space looking for the mythical thirteenth tribe of Kobol hoping that the people of the mythical Earth would be able to give them sanctuary from the Cylons.

Though the smouldering remains of the Twelve Colonies were far behind the ships of the colonial remnant the Cylons still pursued them, determined with every fibre of their existence to destroy those who had long ago created them. A number of times the Cylons had come close to trapping them, especially when the sentient machines had managed to get ahead of them and wait in ambush. The remnant had had some pretty narrow escapes.

So it was that Lee and a rookie pilot recruited from one of the civilian ships – a kid just barely out of his teens – were out here running ahead of the fleet scanning everything in their path.

Lee's dradis screen abruptly bleeped for attention, Lee turned his attention to it, to see two contacts coming around the curve of the horizon of the planet they were just passing. The contacts were awfully close and Lee guessed that they'd used the planets gravitational and magnetic fields to mask their approach. Now they were almost on top of them. A moment later his tactical computer identified the incoming contacts as two Cylon Scimitar-class raiders.

"Reaper," Lee called using the other pilot's call sign. "We've got a pair of Cylon

Scimitars coming right at us. Evasive action now, they are right on top of us."

"Roger that Apollo," Reaper replied just as the two Cylon raiders came into weapons range and immediately opened fire, twin streams of blue pulse laser fire shooting forth from each raider.

Apollo turned his Viper in a tight evasive manoeuvre the pulses of laser fire only just missing him. Reaper wasn't so lucky. Before the rookie could start turning his Viper into an evasion course laser fire from one of the raiders ripped into it, tearing through the armour like it was paper as Viper armour was designed with railguns in mind not pulse lasers. Reaper screamed even as his Viper exploded in a plume of plasma and vaporised metal.

Apollo didn't have time to mourn the death of his fellow pilot as he now had the undivided attention of two Cylon Scimitars, not an ideal situation for any Viper pilot to be in. Apollo pulled another tight evasion manoeuvre dodging another volley of Cylon laser fire, as he turned one of Cylons cut across his gun sights and Lee instinctively pulled the triggers. Twin streams of railgun pellets shot out from the Vipers guns and tore across the Cylon raider, snapping the Scimitar's right wing clean off. For a second the Cylon tumbled out of control then its power plant went up turning the raider into an expanding rapidly cooling ball of plasma and debris.

The remaining Scimitar fired another volley of laser fire from its twin pulse cannons at him – pulling another evasive manoeuvre out of his hat Lee was able to evade the twin blue streams of death. Annoyed and frustrated – if a sentient machine could feel those emotions – that it couldn't nail him with its lasers the Cylon raider fired a missile at him. Apollo's thread board screamed an urgent warning as the missile locked onto the heat corona of his engines and sensors also detected a small nuclear warhead in the missile. Not that the warhead type mattered, either a conventional or thermonuclear warhead would be more than capable of destroying him especially if it hit the engines.

Jinking madly Apollo tried to shake off the missile as it streaked towards him, but the missile stuck to his tail like glue the sophisticated tracking systems in its warhead enabling it to follow his every move. Lee frowned wishing not for the first time that the antiquated Mark-III that he was flying had a decent missile countermeasure system.

Then an idea struck him, it was crazy but it was his only chance. Turning his Viper he headed straight for the Cylon raider and hit full thrust heading right for the war machine. The Scimitar turned to face him and opened fire on him again, streams of laser fire shooting across space towards him. Continuing with evasive manoeuvres even as he dove right at the Cylon he evaded the laser fire. Lee opened fire as he closed on the Scimitar sending projectiles right at it. One struck the machine and tore right through part of the right wing of the raider causing it to stagger in space as a stabiliser disintegrated. Then he was almost on top of it.

At the last possible moment Lee pulled up into a steep climb feeling gee forces pressing him back into his seat. The nuclear missile on his tail was not able to react to the manoeuvre quickly enough and slammed into the Scimitar, with predictable results since despite the level of their technology the Cylons still used simple kinetic detonators on missiles.

The nuclear warhead detonated, the Scimitar flashed to vapour instantly consumed by the blue-white blast of star fire. A sphere of superheated plasma accompanied by an electromagnetic blast wave and a lethal sleet of gamma radiation shot out from the point of initial detonation.

The edge of the blast wave caught Lee's Viper and knocked it tumbling out of control, arcs of electromagnetic static crackling along its whole length. The impact of the blast with knocked Lee hard into the side of the cockpit wall, so hard in fact that despite the protection of his helmet he was knocked unconscious, even as electromagnetic arcs played over cockpit instruments crashing or blowing out whole systems.

The sounds of the Vipers systems died, as all power was lost. The only sound that remained was the urgent – and unheard – bleeping of the radiation detector built into Lee's flight suite.

* * *

The sensor officer frowned as the long-range scanners on the patrol cruiser detected a thermonuclear detonation a few parsecs from their current location.

"Sir," the young woman called out to her department head. The lieutenant came over and read the display.

"Call the captain."

"Aye sir."


	2. Chapter One: From The Jaws Of Death

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Chapter One: From The Jaws Of Death

Captain Anton Ramirez walked onto the bridge of his command the patrol cruiser _Avalon_ as they made preparations for a hyperlight jump of seven light years to the location of the thermonuclear blast that their long-range sensors had detected. It was a nice break from the tedium of a patrol of that part of the Terran Hegemony boarder that faced the unknown regions towards the edge of the galaxy.

Still Anton was determined to be careful and cautious when they went to investigate the nuclear blast. While no race in this part of space used nuclear weapons anymore, favouring the more powerful antimatter weapons, nukes in potentially large numbers were still not a threat to take lightly. So he would use caution when they jumped.

"Status report," he ordered as he moved over to the command chair and sat down.

"Hyperlight engines are fully powered up," navigation reported from towards the front of the bridge. "Destination co-ordinates have been locked in and verified. We're ready to jump on your command sir."

"Tactical bring the ship to amber alert status. Bring weapons and defensive systems to stand by," Anton ordered.

"Aye, sir," tactical responded.

A klaxon sounded throughout the six hundred meter length of the _Avalon_, on every one of her twenty-five decks and amber alert status lights began pulsing alerting the patrol cruisers crew of four hundred to prepare for possible combat operations. Engineering brought the full potential of the _Avalon's_ zero-point energy matrix on line ready to power the ship's weapons and defensive systems, while crew members moved to their alert stations.

"All hands report ready for possible combat operations sir," tactical reported mere moments after the alert sounded.

"Very good. Navigation initiate jump sequence."

"Aye sir," the navigator replied entering the appropriate command into the _Avalon's_ helm controls.

"Jump sequence activated," the _Avalon's_ computer voice said. "Hyperlight jump in thirty seconds… twenty nine… twenty eight."

Around the bridge the crew readied themselves for the space-fold effect that accompanied a hyperlight jump, nanites woven into the very fabric of their uniforms bonded with their chairs to keep them in place during the jump.

"Hyperlight jump in five…" the computer voice continued. "Four… three… two… one." For a moment nothing happened and then there was the gut wrenching sensation of reality twisting inside out, lights flickered momentarily, space seemed to stretch like a rubber band being pulled then snapped back to normal as the jump completed. Anton resisted the impulse to sigh in relief as everything returned to normal. One thing he hated about being in the Hegemony Guard was hyperlight jumps.

"Navigation what's our position," he ordered instead. The navigator checked the sensors.

"We're on target sir," the navigator reported.

"Excellent. Sensors is anything out there?"

"I'm reading a small localised debris field captain," the sensor lieutenant reported. "Metallic alloys of unknown composition. I'm also reading high amounts of gamma radiation. It looks like that thermonuclear blast was fission based from the amount of radiation that there is. Sir reading one small object adrift on a heading of two three seven mark three one nine from its size I'd say it's a fighter. Configuration unknown."

"Show me."

A holographic display screen appeared in the air in front of Anton showing a small tri-winged fighter adrift in space. The design was faintly like those of Trenik fighters but was clearly not manufactured by that race which to Terran eyes looked like the werewolves of old Terran myth. Looking closely at the fighter he could see the carbon scoring covering the hull, clearly it had caught the edge of the nuclear detonation's plasma and electromagnetic blast wave.

"Analysis," Anton instructed.

"The hull of the fighter is composed of some sort of titanium/carbon/duranium alloy," sensors reported. "Propulsion appears to be an ion-drive of somekind. Minimal power readings, weapons systems appear to be two small railguns. One life sign. Sir its Terran."

"What," Anton exclaimed in surprise even as the whole bridge crew turned to look at the sensor lieutenant in surprise. "Confirm that."

"Confirmed. Pilot is one Terran male unconscious, life sign is slowly fading and I am reading considerable levels of gamma radiation inside the cockpit. Whoever he is, he's dying."

"I've never seen a Terran ship that looks like that, and with such obsolete weaponry. Is that ship from some sort of lost colony?" Commander Erika Romanikov wondered from her workstation. "Still it doesn't matter at the moment. We cannot let the pilot die out there."

"Your right. Answers to the puzzle of the fighter's origin can wait," Anton agreed. "Tactical lock on a tractor beam and bring that ship aboard. Have medical personnel meet it in the hanger bay."

"Aye, sir."

A beam of diffuse light reached forth from a point on the _Avalon's_ hull and locked onto the drifting fighter, halting all drift instantly, before beginning to bring it onboard. Anton stood up from his chair as the fighter enveloped in the luminous blue haze of the tractor beam was brought closer and closer to the _Avalon's_ hanger bay.

"All stations stand down to normal running," he ordered. "Commander Romanikov you have the bridge. I'll be in the hanger bay and then probably in medical."

"Aye sir."

**

* * *

Battlestar Galactica**

That Same Time

Commander William Adama looked up from his desk and the paperwork that he was doing as the door buzzer chimed for attention.

"Enter," he called wondering why someone was at his door and not using the internal communications system. Though he was grateful for the distraction from the paperwork that came with command of a ship. The door opened and his friend and first officer Colonel Saul Tigh came in his expression grave, which immediately set the alarm bells ringing in William's head. "What is it?"

"The last recognisance patrol sent ahead of the fleet has not returned. All attempts to communicate with them have not been responded to." Adama frowned in concern. Patrols just didn't go silent like that for no reason. He was also worried for another more personal reason, if he remembered the roster correctly that patrol was commanded by his son.

"Have Lieutenant Thrace take red squadron to that area. In the meantime signal the fleet to reduce speed. Advise the president of why we have reduced our speed and why were sending out a squadron. It would also be prudent to bring the ship to a heightened state of alert."

"Yes sir."

"And Saul was that Lee's patrol?" Saul nodded and William closed his eyes. "I see. Dismissed." Saul gave his old friend a concerned look before leaving the room. William looked at the photos on his desk especially he looked at the photo of Lee. _Please be okay Lee,_ he thought, _by the lords of Kobol you must be okay._

**

* * *

Medical Bay**

THS Avalon

A Short Time Later

Doctor Virgil Pike – chief medical officer on the _Avalon_ – carefully examined the pilot of unknown fighter who had just been rushed here from the hanger bay. As he scanned him to determine the extent of the radiation poisoning he noticed a number of subtle differences between him and your average Terran.

The stranger had no appendix and showed no sign of ever having had one. There were numerous subtle differences in his cellular structures those that weren't being torn apart by the huge amount of gamma radiation that he'd absorbed, bone and muscular density was slightly lower and there was a slightly higher percentage of iron in his blood than normal and there were a number of differences in his immune system.

Despite the differences in his physiology it was obvious that the stranger was Human but one that wasn't from Terra or one of the hundreds of colony worlds inside the boarders of the Terran Hegemony. The stranger had come from somewhere else, some unknown world, somewhere where he and others had been separated from the main Terran gene pool for a very long time. Long enough to have evolved into a subspecies, there weren't enough differences in the strangers physiology for him to be a different species of Human.

As the scan progressed Virgil noticed something about the stranger that puzzled him. The stranger had no nanites in his system, which would have made saving him much easier. For almost a thousand years Terrans had used nanotechnology in various forms including having biomechanical nanotech organisms called nanites inside their bodies. The nanites provided a number of health benefits including longer life spans, near perfect health, enhanced sensory perception, almost superhuman speed, strength and endurance, just to name a few. Nanites and nanotechnology were such a fundamental technology in the Terran Hegemony they were one of those technologies on which many others were based. Including modern medicine.

But the stranger had no nanite enhancement and there was evidence in his body of injuries in the past that a Terrans personal nanites would have easily repaired, including broken bones. Nanites with assistance from nano-delivered drugs would easily stop the cellular breakdown being caused by the gamma radiation in the stranger as well as repair the cells and any genetic damage. He had some drugs here that didn't rely on nanites but the radiation damage was to heavy.

Virgil knew of only one thing that could really save the strangers life. And that was to inject him with nanites – the problem was once nanites were inside you and became a part of you the sub cellular biomechanical organisms were impossible to remove. You could exchange one kind for another and back again just by basically changing the RNA coding sequence in the nanites memory since nanites of every kind were basically the same just programmed differently – but removing nanites was impossible. And the main problem with injecting them into the stranger was that they did not know anything about his culture or beliefs for all they knew this mans culture could have a strong bias against nanotechnology for some reason or another.

For one of the few times in his life Virgil Pike had no idea what to do. He couldn't in good conscience let the stranger die when he easily had the tools at hand to save him but did he have the right to possibly violate the rules of the stranger's culture by using the nanites?

"You look like someone with a problem doctor," Captain Ramirez said coming in.

"More like someone facing a moral dilemma sir," Virgil answered. He explained the dilemma he was facing to his commanding officer.

"Your right that is awkward," Anton commented once Virgil had finished. "Unfortunately I don't think you have much choice doctor. Our superiors will want answers from this man about who he is and where he has come from. The engineers have looked at his fighter and the technology appears to be at least three hundred years behind our own. It's powered by a tylium energiser of all things. Still despite being much less advanced the technology is different to ours, and everything is written in a language that is similar to ancient Greek, with some similarities to Roman Latin. Languages that haven't been spoken in many millennia, we're programming our translators with it so we can talk to him eventually. But the point is we won't be able to talk to him or get any answers if he dies."

"I see. While I'm still not comfortable with the idea of potentially breaking the rules of an alien – if Human based – society I will use the nanites on him. I just hope we don't regret it."

Before Anton could respond the comm unit built into the right forearm of his uniform bleeped for attention. Anton tapped it.

"Yes?"

"Sir report from sensors were picking up something at the very edge of scanner range," Commander Romanikov's voice said from the device.

"Very well I'll be right there," Anton replied. "Take care of our guest doctor."

"I will."

As his captain left Pike walked over to a cabinet and pulled out two a hypospray and two injection capsules one contained an emergency replacement shot of standard military-class nanites, the other contained a nanite mobilised anti-radiation drug. First he loaded the nanite-containing capsule in the hypospray before pressing it against the stranger's neck and firing. With a faint hiss of released pressure a dose of close on several hundred thousand nanites went straight into the strangers bloodstream. Then after waiting a few moments for the nanites to begin the dispersal, integration and replication process he loaded the second capsule and injected the contents into the stranger as well.

* * *

Anton hurried back onto the bridge of the _Avalon_.

"Report commander," he ordered.

"Sensors have picked up two large groups of contacts in bound. One group will be here in approximately three minutes and consists of a large number of fighter craft of unknown configuration. The other group which is coming in from a different vector will be here in seven minutes again there fighters and sir the configuration matches the unknown fighter we brought on board."

Anton frowned not liking this at all, as he didn't have any fighters of his own. The _Avalon_ was equipped with anti-fighter ordinance and the pulse lasers and proton accelerator guns in the point defence network could track and target fighters. If push came to shove the proton cannons that formed part of their main armament could be set to shotgun mode for anti-fighter use. The only weapons they had that couldn't use for anti-fighter warfare were their torpedoes and the positron beam cannons. Still that didn't mean he liked two large groups of fighters closing in on him.

"Weapons take us to condition red full combat alert," he ordered after a moments thought. "Exec have a message drone prepared for launch in case we don't get out of here in one piece."

"Aye sir," came the replies from both Commander Romanikov and the weapons officer.

Anton sat down in his chair and leaned back as alarms began to wail throughout the ship and red battle lights began to pulse. Hopefully they would be able to get out of this situation without being forced to use their weapons but for some reason Anton did not think that it would be possible potentially with either group.


	3. Chapter Two: Engagement

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Chapter Two: Engagement

The assault squadron of a hundred Cylon Scimitars cruised through space with deadly purpose and silence intent on laying a trap for the Colonial Remnant, which was in the area. The loss of contact with the two Scimitars sent to scout this area after a report that they had detected the presence of two Colonial Vipers confirmed that the prey the Cylon Empire had long sought was in this area.

Reinforcements had been summoned but it would be sometime before the task force of three basestars spread out throughout this sector would be able to rendezvous and make the jump to ensure the final destruction of the Humans. Until then the closest basestar had dispatched virtually its whole complement of Scimitars to find, engage and delay the colonial ships before they could calculate a hyperlight jump away from this area.

The Scimitar squadron had made a short hyperlight jump to this area and now been underway for over an hour but the time in space meant nothing to the Scimitars. This was their natural element where their model of Cylon belonged. Scimitars were never happier than when in space, the advanced 12 Humanoid models might prefer planets and ships but the Scimitars preferred space only returning to baseships for refuelling and rearming.

Approaching there destination co-ordinates based on the projected path of the Colonial Remnant the Scimitars switched on there active scanners and sensor beams swept through space searching for the drive and power signatures and the unmistakable silhouettes of the Colonial ships.

They didn't find them. Instead the Scimitars detected a single ship around the same size as a Colonial Fleet destroyer holding position near the target co-ordinates. The Scimitars turned their sensor beams on the unknown vessel and determined instantly that it was not a Colonial vessel. The design did not match anything encountered by the Cylon race before and this made the Scimitars cautious as they approached the vessel. There sensors indicated that the unknown vessel was definitely a warship of some sort, they were picking up evidence of multiple gun ports and turrets but they were not able to get more information at this range.

As the range closed the Scimitars increased their scans of the alien warship and began to get some more information on it. The ships power readings were off the scale and did not match any known power source, an armoured hull of unknown composition protected the vessel and the vessels weapons systems did not match any known system. The Scimitars picked up what were obviously launchers for some sort of missiles but the bulk of the ships armament was unfamiliar, sensors also picked up some kind of energy field surrounding the alien vessel though its purpose was unknown. Logic dictated that despite their superior numbers the Scimitars were to approach cautiously and they did just that.

Until that was there sensors picked up the life signs aboard the alien ship. The Cylon sensors identified the lifeforms readings onboard the alien ship were Human and caution immediately gave way too deadly purpose. The Scimitars increased speed forming up into attack formation as they closed to missile range with the new ship. As they entered attack range the leading Scimitars reached out across space attempted to access the Human vessels computer systems.

**

* * *

Bridge**

THS Avalon

Anton Ramirez watched nervously as the fleet of unknown fighters closed on his ship. They had not picked up any signals from the unknowns and that was worrying Anton deeply. Who did these fighters belong to and why had they not attempted to contact them?

"Sensors what can you tell me about those fighters," he asked.

"The unknown fighters are scanning us heavily sir," the sensor lieutenant reported, "I think there trying to figure out who we are. The fighters are more advanced than the one we picked up earlier but not by a huge degree. Each fighter is armed with twin pulse lasers, a number of missiles both with conventional and thermonuclear warheads. Power is tylium based just like the fighter we picked up but is more advanced. I'm picking up organic readings on the fighters but no life signs as such. I think these fighters are drones driven by somekind of biomechanical computer system." The sensors bleeped.

"Sir alien fighters have stopped scanning us. There picking up speed, we're being targeted," sensors reported.

"Communications hail them I don't want a fight if I can avoid it," Anton ordered. "Weapons stand by countermeasures and AFM's if those fighters fire at us I want to be ready to stop their ordinance and blast them out of space."

"Aye sir," came the replies from the respective stations but before anyone could speak the operations console gave a bleep.

"What is it," Anton asked the operations officer.

"Alien fighters are attempting to access our computers sir," the operations officer reported her hands dancing across the panel in front of her. "Its somekind of computer worm. Sophisticated and extremely adaptive. Firewalls are holding and countermeasures are erasing it. Shall I return the favour sir?"

"Do it," Anton ordered annoyed that these unknowns were trying information warfare on his ship. _Two can play that game,_ he thought.

The operations officer smiled and pressed a button sending a standard defensive computer virus back along the alien's own signal right into their systems. _Take that,_ she thought.

* * *

The leading wave of Scimitars abruptly lurched in space as the counter virus screamed into their systems disrupting all control functions. Engines shut down and the Scimitars began to drop out of formation as system after system started to crash. The sheer unexpectedness of the assault stunned the Scimitars for several nanoseconds – the Colonials had never tried fighting the Cylons in this way before countering with computer virus's of there own. Antiviral programs cut in trying to adapt to the sudden invasion of the Scimitars consciousness even as more and more Scimitars began to fall out of formation there wireless network connection that enabled them to function so well in combat acting against them allowing the Humans virus to spread amongst them sowing waves of system failures and disruptions.

It took the Cylon antiviral programs almost a minute – an eternity for the A.I's – to counter and eliminate the virus. Those Scimitars that had had there engines knocked off line by the viral assault brought them back on line and the Cylons began to rebuild there shattered formation. The Scimitars scanned space around fully expecting to see a massive barrage of missiles coming at them from the Humans new ship. But there weren't any which struck the artificial minds of the Scimitars as strange as any Colonials would have taken advantage of the confusion as the Cylons rebuilt there formations to fire at them and blast raider after raider out of the sky.

Then sensors picked up the squadron of Colonial Vipers only a few more minutes from combat range. Tactical programs indicated an ambush. The Scimitars paused for a moment then thirty Scimitars broke away from the main formation and advanced towards the Colonial Vipers the others formed up into attack waves and streaked towards the new vessel and the leading wave sent a torrent of nuclear tipped missiles towards the new vessel.

**

* * *

Lieutenant Thrace's Viper**

A Few Moments Earlier

"Oh frak," Lieutenant Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace said as her dradis screen abruptly picked up a large number of Cylon Scimitars on a heading that they would cut across in moments. The Scimitars were in attack formation heading for a ship about the size of the Atheon-class destroyers which Colonial Fleet had brought into operation about a year before the Cylon attack – though the configuration of the ship was completely different to anything that the colonies would have built.

"All Vipers," she ordered into her comlink. "Prepare for a decoy evasion run." The decoy evasion run was a sequence of evasive and combat manoeuvres that they had developed during their long flight away from the Cylons; or rather Lee had developed it. It was designed to lure the Cylons away from the rest of the Remnant and the A.I's fell for it every time as the sequence was never the same each time it was used.

Lee!

Starbuck couldn't think about him now. Couldn't think about her secret love. She knew he was dead now the Cylons must have ambushed and destroyed his patrol but she couldn't let it affect her now. She would cry later. After she told Commander Adama that Lee was dead. A conversation she was dreading because she knew that despite there differences – though they had both made moves to heal the rift between them that Zack's death had caused – William and Lee Adama loved each other deeply just like any father and son and she knew that William would be emotionally destroyed by his sons death.

"Starbuck look at your screen," one of her fellow pilots said. Starbuck looked at her screen and her jaw dropped when she saw the formation of Scimitars shattering, the individual raiders dropping out of formation and tumbling unpowered through space. Obviously the ship the Cylons were approaching had done something to them but the Vipers sensors were not detecting any weapons fire. If she didn't know any better she would think that the unidentified ship had done to the Cylons what the Cylons had done to the Colonial Fleet four years ago.

"By the Lords of Kobol, who could disable the Cylons like that," another pilot asked.

"I don't know," Starbuck replied. "I would sure like to meet them whoever they are they could be the salvation of our people."

"Ah Starbuck it looks like the Cylons are recovering and a number of them are heading our way," he wingman said sounding worried. Starbuck looked at her dradis screen and swore under her breath when she saw that her wingman was right and the Cylons were recovering from whatever the unknowns had done to them and a large number of Scimitars were heading right towards her squadron.

"All Vipers prepare for emergency dog-fighting," she ordered. "If these Cylons want to take us then lets make them work for it." A chorus of approving 'yes sirs' came over her comlink. Starbuck gritted her teeth and prepared to give the Cylons hell as soon as they came into weapons range.

On her screen she noticed the other group of Scimitars open fire upon the unknown ship they'd been heading for launching a massive salvo of nuclear missiles.

**

* * *

Bridge**

THS Avalon

"Unknown fighters have recovered from our counter virus sir," sensors reported. "Thirty have broken away from the main group and are heading for the second group of fighters the remainder are closing on us. We're being targeted again. Missiles incoming."

On the tactical hologram hovering in front of him Anton could see it himself. Each fighter launched two missiles meaning that a wall of a hundred and forty missiles was coming blasting towards his ship and according to sensors all of them had nuclear warheads with an estimated blast yield of fifty kilotons per warhead.

"Launch countermeasures," Anton ordered. "Weapons target AFM's on the attackers and fire at will. Set proton cannons to shotgun mode and commence fire as soon as the enemy is in range. Point defence stand by to nail any missile that gets too close."

"Aye sir." Countermeasures – basically missiles carrying warheads which when detonated produced a cloud of nanites and shrapnel which could detonate just about any missile that came in contact with it – raced to intercept the incoming storm of projectiles. Simultaneously anti-fighter missiles or AFM's shot towards the fighter swarm.

The countermeasures deployed their nanite and shrapnel clouds and the missile swarm slammed into it. Most of the enemy missiles detonated immediately as they either hit shrapnel specifically designed to set off things like kinetic detonators or had there systems compromised by nanites intent on detonating their warheads and succeeding spectacularly. The Cylons had never encountered nanotechnology before and had never developed a defence against it. Despite the effectiveness of the countermeasures the sheer number of incoming missiles meant some would get through. Twenty of the Cylon missiles penetrated the countermeasure screen and closed on the _Avalon_. The ships defensive pulse lasers and proton accelerators came on firing multi-gigawatt energy bolts at the incoming missiles. Guided by the ships targeting systems the laser pulses and miniature proton energy projectiles struck with deadly accuracy. All but one of the missiles died vanishing in plumes of vaporised metal the surviving missile slammed into the _Avalon's_ forward shields and detonated with a brilliant blue-white flash.

Anton held on as his ship shuddered around him from the impact.

"Direct hit shields are holding," the tactical lieutenant reported. Anton nodded having expected it. The _Avalon's_ shields were after all designed to withstand weapons that were a lot more powerful than the weapons these unknown fighters were armed with, weapons like antimatter torpedoes that could pack a couple of gigatons of firepower when they struck.

It was at that moment that the AFM salvo fired from the _Avalon_ reached the Scimitars. Moments before impact the main AFM missile warhead covers dissolved into nothing and a barrage of smaller seeker missiles that hammered the lead wave of Scimitars. Not only did the smaller missiles have nanocompressed microfusion warheads but they also packed a ferocious kinetic force on impact. Twenty Scimitars died instantly vanishing in blasts of fusion flame.

Though startled by the quick destruction of so many of their fellows the remaining Scimitars retaliated immediately with another barrage of missiles, as soon as the first wave of missiles was clear the Scimitars fired again sending another volley screaming along the propellant trails of the first salvo.

Anton didn't even have to give the order as more countermeasures were launched from the _Avalon_ to counter the missile barrage; following them came a retaliatory salvo of AFM's. On his tactical hologram he noticed the unknown alien fighters do something different this time. As the countermeasure and AFM carrier missiles came into range volleys of blue pulsed laser fire reached out from the unknowns aimed at the missiles. Clearly the unknowns were trying to intercept the missiles before they deployed. Three countermeasure missiles died as laser fire impacted and turned them into hazy balls of disassociated ions, several AFM's met the same fate. _Quick learners,_ Anton thought even as weapons compensated for the lost missiles by firing another full salvo, even as the remaining countermeasures deployed.

The Cylon missiles reached the countermeasure screen and immediately missiles began to die, vanishing in blasts of nuclear starfire that claimed many more missiles. One hundred and ten missiles escaped the initial countermeasure screen only to instantly slam into the next screen of countermeasures and begin dying. Sixty missiles made it through the second countermeasures screen and closed in on the _Avalon_ to run straight into a wall of pulse laser and proton accelerator fire as the _Avalon's_ defensive batteries went into continuous rapid fire to eliminate the approaching threat and threw out a web of coherent energy. Cylon missiles died left and right in balls of hazy ions as they were hit full on or grazed by the bolts of red and gold light that made up the net.

The sheer number of missiles though meant that some would get through the defensive fire. Twelve missiles barely twenty percent of the Cylon's dual salvo survived the defensive firepower to slam into the _Avalon's _shields detonating in multiple blasts of blue-white starfire that set the shields aglow.

Anton held on as the _Avalon_ shuddered violently under the impact, it was an automatic reflex as the nanites in his uniform would keep him safely seated in his chair through all but the worst of hits.

"Multiple direct hits," the tactical lieutenant reported as the ships gravitational stability returned. "Minor damage to forward shields, firming back up now sir."

Anton nodded even as on his screen he saw there AFM salvos reach the unknowns and deploy most evading the persistent attempts by the unknowns to shoot them down. Thirty-five enemy fighters died as the AFM's tore the very core of their formations apart.

Stunned by the firepower of the new vessel and the fact that there weapons were having no observable effect on the unknown ship just detonating harmless against the energy field that surrounded the ship, a field that was obviously some sort of shield, the remaining Scimitars halted for a moment. The Scimitars noticed that their fellows were having some problems with the fast and nimble Colonial Vipers but they could not help them, conferring among themselves the Scimitars decided to resume their attack. Forming up into three five ship squadrons they moved in different directions and then came in towards the _Avalon_ each raider firing its remaining two nukes towards the alien ship.

Anton raised an eyebrow as he observed the enemy fighters change in tactics. It was obvious that they had finally twigged that a full on frontal assault didn't work, between the countermeasures, AFM's, shields and point defence's the _Avalon_ was impervious to any frontal assault the fighters could mount. So they were now trying to break through his ships defences with a multi-vectored attack. _This is pointless,_ Anton thought sadly, _why won't they back off they can't win this fight._ He observed the alien fighters fire another barrage of nukes at his ship, thirty missiles were inbound with the fighters closing behind them.

The weapons officer didn't even bother with launching countermeasures this time leaving the missiles to the point defence network. Missile after missile died before they could get close. The raiders closed in firing conventional high-explosive warheads and pulsed lasers attempting futilely to break down the _Avalon's_ shielding. Fire from the point defence batteries reached out towards both the fighters and the incoming missiles. Twelve raiders and all the missiles died in the devastating barrage of fire. The remaining three raiders increased speed towards the _Avalon_ and continued firing with everything they had.

Missiles and laser fire impacted the shields, which glowed softly beneath the pummelling not even being bothered by the assault. Then the three raiders ran out of time as the _Avalon_ summarily blasted them out of existence.

"Sensors what's the status of the rest of the enemy fighters," Anton asked.

"There heavily engaged with the second group of fighters sir," sensors reported. "Twelve hostiles and five of the second group have been destroyed. Ten enemy fighters are breaking off and heading in our direction the rest are continuing to fight the second group."

"Captain enough is enough," Commander Romanikov said. "Whoever these hostiles are they obviously do not believe in peaceful co-existence we must end this pointless slaughter no matter how distasteful it is."

"You're right commander though I don't like destroying those who can't hurt us," Anton replied with a sigh. "But we must end this. Navigation take us towards that second group of fighters. Weapons fire enough AFM's to wipe the hostile fighters from space. The second group leave them alone, hopefully they and our guest in medical will be able to give us some answers about what this is all about once all this is over."

"Aye sir," came the replies from the respective stations.

The _Avalon_ turned gracefully in space the field produced by her gravimagnetic sublight engines giving her a manoeuvrability and easy grace in her movements that ships equipped with fusion, ion or antimatter drives lacked. Not to mention the benefits she had in speed and acceleration and naturally her crew felt nothing of the ships manoeuvres thanks to inertial dampening. The _Avalon_ moved towards the final group of Scimitars AFM's launching from her towards the Cylons as she closed on the Cylons at a speed that was unheard of by Cylons or Colonials.

The ten closest Scimitars answered the rapidly approaching ship with a fierce barrage of nuclear missiles. Each raider launched its full complement of eight nuclear tipped missiles so that eighty missiles were streaking across space towards the _Avalon_. Countermeasures raced to intercept the incoming nukes. Again the Cylons began firing at the AFM and countermeasure units. But the Cylons were not the only quick learners. The computer guided AFM and countermeasure missiles began taking evasive action of their own jinking madly as they closed the range. The Scimitars co-ordinated there fire on the countermeasure and AFM's trying to anticipate the evasion patterns of the incoming ordinance from the _Avalon_. Several countermeasure and four AFM carrier missiles died under the co-ordinated firepower the rest deployed.

The Cylon missiles impacted the weakened countermeasure screen and sixty succumbed to the cloud of nanites and shrapnel vanishing in short lived bursts of nuclear fire. The remaining twenty missiles closed in on the _Avalon_ only to be easily picked off by fire from the _Avalon's_ point defence network. Then the ten Scimitars died as the AFM's slammed into them swatting them from space as though they had never been.

The eight remaining Scimitars took stock of the situation. Tactical processor indicated that between the approaching warship and the Colonial Vipers there was now no chance of victory only the certainty of destruction. Conferring at the speed of electronic impulses between themselves the eight Scimitars came to the only logical conclusion.

They broke off their engagements and one by one jumped away fleeing the scene of a battle, which for the Cylons had been a complete and utter disaster.

"Stand down from battle stations," Anton ordered. "Communications set our translators for the language gained from the fighter we rescued earlier and hail the remaining fighters."

"Aye sir."

**

* * *

Lieutenant Thrace's Viper**

Starbuck sighed in relief as the Cylons broke off their attack and disappeared into hyperlight fleeing the incredible power of the alien ship that was bearing down on them. That had been a pretty intense dog fight and though they had been managing to out fly the Cylons five of her squad had been killed the Cylon pulse lasers tearing through there Vipers like they were made of tissue paper. And with there superior numbers it was obvious to Kara that it wouldn't have taken the Cylons long to do the same to the rest of Red Squadron herself included.

Looking at the alien warship as it came to a halt in space in front of them Kara wasn't quite sure what to do now. The ship was amazing, its weapons were obviously very advanced and powerful and what was even more amazing was the fact that it had energy shields. Colonial science had long considered practical force fields like the one protecting the unknown ship to be impossible and just the stuff of bad science fiction stories. Yet now here they were seeing a practical energy shield and an energy shield of incredible strength given that it had taken multiple nuclear blasts and not flinched. Whoever had built that ship they knew a lot more about how to manipulate energy than the colonies did, which could also explain how the ship could move around without any visible engines.

"By the Lords of Kobol who does that ship belong to," one of her fellow pilots asked.

"I don't know," Starbuck replied. "I just hope were not next." Then her Vipers computer bleeped alerting her to a channel opening from the alien ship. To say that she was shocked when a Human voice came through was an understatement.

"Unknown fighters this is Captain Anton Ramirez of the Terran Hegemony Starship _Avalon_. Do you require assistance?"


	4. Chapter Three: Conversations

****

Chapter Three: Conversations

Starbuck was stunned when the voice came through from the unknown warship that had so easily wiped the floor with the Cylons. She wasn't sure what she should think, the voice speaking to them sounded Human and the language being spoken was Colonial standard though it was slightly distorted, the grammar and syntax were off somewhat. It was almost as if this Captain Ramirez didn't speak standard and was using a translator of somekind that was programmed with an older form of Colonial standard. Plus some of the words like the term Terran were completely unfamiliar to her.

Starbuck tried to scan the alien vessel, though its energy shields had vanished obviously having been switched off she couldn't get that many readings on it. All she could tell was that the ship was producing an incredible amount of energy and she could pick up some life signs but that was all as whatever drive system the ship used for sublight propulsion was partially scattering her Vipers sensors. Somehow Starbuck didn't think even the more powerful sensors on the _Galactica _would be able to scan the alien vessel properly.

When she saw the life sign readings Starbuck gasped in shock and amazement. The life signs on the alien ship were human. That ship it had been built and was crewed by Humans. Yet the technology was far beyond Colonial so where had the ship come from. A sudden thought struck her. Could it possibly be that the ship – what had Captain Ramirez called her again? The _Avalon_ – had come from Earth? Could these people be the long lost thirteenth tribe of Kobol? Could the years of desperate flight from the Cylon Empire finally be over?

"Unknown fighters respond please do you require assistance," Captain Ramirez said again. Starbuck knew that she should respond to the transmission. But what could she say to Captain Ramirez. What did you say in these sorts of situations? None of the training given at the Colonial Fleet Academy had any relevance here. First contact with another sentient race had long been thought of but in all the explorations of the space surrounding the twelve colonies no sign of another civilisation had ever been found. The Cylons didn't count since Humans had created them.

Taking a deep breath – and silently praying to the lords of Kobol that she didn't do anything wrong – she opened a communications link with the _Avalon_.

"Captain Ramirez my name is Lieutenant Kara Thrace from the colonial battlestar _Galactica_ leader of Red Squadron."

"Hello lieutenant. Lieutenant Thrace are you and your pilots all right. We have medical facilities on board this ship that are quiet capable of dealing with any injuries you might have. We are already treating one of your people it would be no trouble to treat more." As Ramirez responded Kara felt her heart skip a beat. Could the person being treated on board the _Avalon_ be Lee, had he managed to escape death again? What about the other person from the patrol though was he alive or dead.

"We are fine sir," Starbuck responded. "Captain you said you have one of our people onboard your ship? A long range patrol of two Vipers was initially sent out do you know what happened to the second pilot?"

"Negative. I assume he was vaporised. Our long-range scanners detected a thermonuclear detonation and it caught our interest since this part of our boarder is uninhabited largely unexplored space. We came to investigate and found a single fighter adrift dead in space, seriously damaged by the nukes plasma blast wave and the pilot unconscious with severe radiation poisoning." Hearing that Starbuck closed her eyes in sorrow as she learned that yet the Cylons had killed another of her comrades in arms.

"Captain you said that were on the edge of your space here? Where are you from?"

"That is correct. You're on the edge of the territory we claim as part of Terran Hegemony. Our homeworld is generally called Terra but it is still occasionally referred to by its old name Earth." _Earth! The thirteenth tribe! These people are the thirteenth tribe!_ _By the lords of Kobol we've found them._

A smile graced Starbuck's face as she imagined the jubilation that would break out admit the fleet once the news was broken that there long flight from the Cylons was over.

"Lieutenant Thrace are you still there?" Captain Ramirez's voice abruptly said and Starbuck jumped realising she'd let her concentration slip.

"Yes sir I'm still here. Sorry I was just a little overwhelmed when you said Earth. We've been looking for you for so long."

"What do you mean?" Ramirez demanded. "Lieutenant where are you from. Our scans of the surviving pilot we picked up indicate that he's Human but that there are a number of subtle differences between his physiology and ours. As far as we know Humans evolved on Terra but the differences in physiology indicate that you didn't. Where do you come from?"

Starbuck's jaw dropped open as she realised what Ramirez was saying. The thirteenth tribe didn't remember their origins; they'd forgotten about how the Lords of Kobol guided the thirteen tribes away from the ancient homeworld. How the twelve colonies had been founded, and how they the thirteenth tribe had vanished their existence and where they'd gone becoming first a myth then a legend. Something must have happened, something terrible that had caused them to forget their heritage.

"Captain as much as I would like to answer that question I don't think that I'm the best person to answer."

"I see." There was concern in Captain Ramirez's voice as he answered. "Who would be the best person?"

"Probably Commander Adama or President Roslin," Starbuck replied. "There back with the fleet."

"Fleet! You have a fleet near here?" Alarm was noticeable in Captain Ramirez's voice now. Starbuck immediately realised that he was probably thinking of a fleet of warships.

"It's alright sir. Only one of the ships in the fleet is a warship and that's the _Galactica_ the rest are all refugee ships. They contain the last of our people."

"Your refugees?"

"Yes. Four years ago the Cylons attacked us without warning or provocation. They attacked with overwhelming force within a day our fleet – except for the _Galactica_ – was gone and our twelve worlds had all been subjected to massive nuclear bombardment from space. Our fleet of ships is all that's left," Starbuck couldn't keep the pain of what had happened out of her voice as she spoke.

There was a moment of horrified silence over the comlink it wasn't everyday that you learned that billions of people had died incinerated in blinding nuclear flame or suffering the lingering, painful death of massive radiation poisoning as their whole world burned around them.

"Did those drone fighters that attacked us belong to these Cylons?" Captain Ramirez asked his voice quiet when he finally responded.

"Those were Cylons captain, to be exact there Scimitars. The Cylons are a race of sentient machines. They've set their sights on destroying every last man, woman and child of the Human race." Starbuck didn't add that Humans had created the Cylons over fifty years ago – there would be time for that later.

"I see."

"Captain might I suggest that you come back to our fleet with us," Starbuck suggested. "I know for a fact that Commander Adama and President Roslin will want to meet you. They will certainly be able to answer at least some of your questions."

"Hold please." The transmission bleeped and a symbol appeared on one of Starbuck's display screens indicating that the link had been put on hold.

It was an agonisingly slow couple of minutes before Captain Ramirez finally came back on the line.

"Lieutenant Thrace we will accompany you back to your fleet," his voice said over the comlink. "But before we do so we will send a signal to my superiors informing them of what has happened and where we are going."

"A fair precaution," Starbuck agreed. "But I assure you captain we have no hostile intentions towards you. My Vipers will move into escort formation around you. It will take nearly two hours to reach the fleet."

"Very well. Transmit a course heading." Starbuck pressed a couple of buttons on her panels. "Course heading received," Ramirez responded. "Hopefully we'll get a chance to meet face to face when we get there."

"Perhaps captain perhaps." The channel closed with a bleep. With the flick of a switch Kara switched back to inter squadron frequencies.

"All Vipers," she ordered. "Assume standard escort formation around the _Avalon_. They are coming back to the fleet with us."

"Starbuck are these people the thirteenth tribe," one of the other pilots asked her.

"I believe so but they don't remember us or Kobol so nobody ask them about it please."

"They've forgotten their ancestry," another pilot exclaimed in shock and surprise. "How could that happen?"

"I don't know. Some sort of disaster must have befallen them something so terrible that their true heritage was lost. What that something could be your guess is as good as mine. Now lets get into formation with the _Avalon_. The sooner we get that ship to the fleet the sooner we can get some answers. They've also saved one of the pilots from the patrol we were sent to find."

"Did they say who it was," a different pilot asked.

"No just that they were treating him for radiation poisoning in their medical bay." Starbuck kept the frustration about that out of her voice she so wanted to know who the pilot was for both professional and private reasons. "We will have to wait until we get back to the _Galactica _to find that out. So let's get into formation people."

**

* * *

Medical Bay**

THS Avalon

Lee Adama groaned softly as consciousness returned with breathtaking suddenness. On moment he was floating in a dark void with no feeling at all and then he could suddenly feel his body again. He got the impression somehow that a light was shining on him and that he was lying on a soft surface of somekind with something equally soft laid over him to shoulder level.

Faintly he could hear a distant humming noise but something was different about the noise to what he had heard before. He could tell that he was on a ship, having spent most of his adult life on various different Colonial warships, so he knew what a starship sounded like. But the sounds that he heard now were different to what he had heard before, there was no pulsing humming from fusion reactors or a faint rumbling from ion particle acceleration sublight engines, instead the background humming of technology was a constant unchanging humming noise.

Slowly he opened his eyes to find that a bright light was shining down on him. Though the light was bright it was not unpleasantly so, for a moment the brightness made his eyes hurt but before he could even blink the pain disappeared. Cautiously Lee sat up and looked around to find that he was in a small room that looked like a hospital room but not like one he'd seen before.

The bulkheads were made of a smooth cream coloured metal that merged with the ceiling and deck without any visible joining; they just seamlessly merged together as if it was just one continuous piece of metal. Illumination was coming from glowing sections of the ceiling, along with bands down the centre of the bulkheads and along the join with the deck, and the light looked like an artificial form of sunlight.

Continuing to look around Lee noticed that there was nothing else in the room aside from the bed he was lying on covered from the neck down by a light blue blanket. Looking down at himself he noticed that his flying gear, uniform and sidearm along with his boots were gone and that he was wearing somekind of silver grey jumpsuit that had no visible seams at all.

As he ran his hand over it the jumpsuit felt as though it was made of silk but Lee knew somehow that it wasn't but was instead made of a material that was much stronger, a material that was virtually indestructible. How he knew that he didn't know, he just did. A section of the jumpsuit near the one edge of the collar felt slightly different to the rest, ever so slightly harder. When he pressed on it the front of the jumpsuit down to the waist split open, when he pressed that section again the open seam merged seamlessly back together. _Wow,_ Lee thought wondering what technology went into creating the jumpsuit. Then he looked at the room. W_here in the name of the Lords of Kobol am I,_ he wondered_, this definitely isn't a Colonial ship and none of this looks Cylon so where am I?_

Before he could start really thinking about where he could be a door that he hadn't seen opened with a soft humming noise. Lee looked at it as a dark skinned man came through, the man was huge his body rippling with lean muscles, but his eyes and face were warm and friendly. Lee noticed that he was wearing a white doctors coat over a jumpsuit that looked similar to the one he was wearing but which was a dark blue colour with white and gold highlighting and piping.

The man spoke and his voice was warm and kind, and spoke with an accent that Lee had never heard before. As the man spoke Lee did not understand a word that the man spoke as the man spoke in a language unlike anything he had ever heard before.

"I don't understand," he said. The man frowned obviously not understanding him either and then the man looked chagrined and turned and walked out of the room. "Wait where are you going," Lee asked getting off the bed and following the man, barely noticing that he was barefoot.

And found himself in another larger room. This room was hexagonal in shape but followed exactly the same style as the room he had just been in. Looking around it was obviously a medical bay of somekind, five of the walls had doors set in them and there was a large bed in the centre of the room. The sixth wall had a set of cabinet's set into it along with a worktable that had cupboards and drawers along with a glass walled office.

It was to that wall that the stranger went and opened one of the worktables drawers and started to pull something out. Lee wondered what it was and then something happened that shocked him to his core. As he saw the stranger start to withdraw something from the drawer his vision zoomed in on it so that it was almost as if he was standing right next to the stranger. The man was withdrawing two devices that looked like they could attach to the side of someone's face from the draw before closing it. _What the hell,_ Lee thought shocked by what had just happened. He blinked and his vision returned too normal. _Okay what the hell just happened,_ he wondered, _lords of Kobol how did I do that?_

The strange man turned back around and smiled warmly at him before approaching him and holding out one of the two devices he had retrieved and mentioned for him to take it. Curious Lee did as he was bid and examined the object as he held it. It was a small strip of metallic plastic – at least he thought it was plastic, one side of the surface was shinny, the other a dull grey colour. But what did he do with it.

Lee looked at the man his face indicating his confusion as to what to do with the strange device. The man smiled and as Lee watched he turned his head so his ear was pointing at him and then the stranger pressed the small device to the skin just behind his ear with the shiny side up. Lee noticed small lights appear on the device as he did so.

Cautiously but willing to trust for now Lee mimicked the mans actions and pressed the strip into place behind his right ear. As they device was pressed against his skin there was the oddest sensation as if something was attaching itself to his skin, but then it passed.

"You should be able to understand me now," the man said and Lee was shocked to find that this time he did understand the words. "Can you understand?"

"Yes I understand," Lee replied. "Can you understand me as well?"

"Yes," the man replied smiling warmly. "Before you ask the devices we are wearing are translators so we can understand each other. I'm afraid that my people actually don't speak your language."

"You don't speak standard," Lee asked surprised.

"No," the man replied. "We haven't spoken any language like yours in many millennia."

"I see. Where am I?" Lee asked. "This doesn't look like a Colonial ship. Who are you?"

"So many questions I'll start at the beginning," the man answered with a smile. "You are aboard the Terran Hegemony starship _Avalon_. I'm Doctor Virgil Pike ships medical officer. We rescued you, we found your fighter adrift in space, badly damaged by a close encounter with a thermonuclear detonation – which incidentally caught our attention in the first place when it appeared on our long-range sensors. Our interest was peaked especially since no one around here uses such primitive weaponry anymore. We came to investigate and its fortunate for you that we did, you were dying of radiation poisoning when we found you."

"I see thank you for saving me," Lee replied. "But what's a Terran? I've never heard a term like that before."

"A Terran is another name for a Human," Dr Pike replied with a smile. "Its derived from the name of our homeworld Terra, though some people still persist in calling it Earth."

Lee was stunned by the answer. _Earth! How can that be it's a myth,_ he thought thinking about the thirteenth tribe, like President Roslin and Colonel Tigh he knew that the story his father had told about knowing Earth's location when they started on there journey away from the burning colonies was a lie. That there was no Earth, that it was nothing but an ancient myth from before the colonies were founded.

"Earth's a myth," Lee said confidentially.

"I can assure you its real," Pike replied. "I was born there." Lee looked at Dr Pike and looking into his warm, kind eyes saw that he was telling the truth. Earth really was real. They had really found the thirteenth tribe. Then something that Pike had said earlier clicked and Lee frowned.

"You said I was dying when you found me," he said.

"Yes," Virgil answered with a smile guessing what he was going to be asked next.

"I'm obviously not dead and I feel fine, better than fine actually. So how could I have been that sick and not show any signs now?"

"Simple. We used nanites to save you. They cleaned up the radiation and repaired all the cell and DNA damage. You're perfectly healthy now. Better in fact. Your now in better physical condition than you have probably ever been in your life." _Nanites,_ Lee asked himself, _what are nanites when they are around?_

"What are nanites?"

"Before I answer can you tell me your name please," Virgil asked. Lee flushed as he abruptly realised that he had been rude in not introducing himself.

"Oh sorry forgive me I've been rude. I'm Captain Lee Adama," Lee replied. "I'm a Viper pilot from the Colonial Battlestar _Galactica._ My call sign is Apollo."

"It's okay," Virgil replied. "Now you asked me about nanites. How much do you know about nanotechnology?"

"I've never heard of nanotechnology what is it?" Lee asked interested.

"A full description would be complicated but basically nanotechnology is the science and technology of making very, very small machines. Machines that are way to small to be seen with the naked eye and are easily small enough to enter living cells. These machines are called nanites."

"Wow," Lee answered. "But if these nanites are that small then how could they do anything? Wouldn't they be next to useless?" Pike laughed.

"On the contrary. Nanites are extremely powerful machines and are incredibly versatile. They are capable of manipulating matter on the sub molecular and sometimes even the atomic level. You could let loose a cloud of nanites on a suitable asteroid programmed to say build a battlecruiser. They would immediately get to work and in a few days the asteroid would be completely transformed into a fully armed, fully operational battlecruiser. The nanites would build everything from the first structural members to the most complex systems and everything in between."

"Amazing. That's like the stuff of science fiction."

"For us its science fact. Nanites are everywhere in our society. They are one of our most base technologies on which everything else is based. There in our machines, our computers, for example that jumpsuit your wearing has nanites in it and was made by them for you, some nanites are even inside us."

"Inside you," Lee exclaimed. "You mean you've got the lords of Kobol know how many tiny machines moving about inside you."

"Well technically the nanites that are inside people aren't true machines. Instead they are what is known as biomechanoid organisms, organic machines. The nanites in people do a variety of things. They ensure near perfect health. Slow the ageing process down once you reach maturity but what they do especially is enhance the Human bodies capabilities. Speed, strength, endurance, reflexes, eyesight, hearing all is enhanced. Nanites can repair the human body more efficiently than the body can on its own."

"Incredible," Lee replied amazed by what he was hearing. These nanites were a level of technology that was beyond even the Cylons. But then something occurred to him. Dr Pike had said they'd used nanites to save his life, were they still inside him? What had happened earlier with his vision seemed to indicate that they were still there.

The thought that he could have billions of tiny little machines inside him gave Lee pause. Lee was not sure how he really felt about that. Oh he liked the idea of a longer life span, near perfect health and the enhanced physical abilities that Doctor Pike described. What person wouldn't like to live longer and be fitter and stronger than ever thought possible? But did he really want to have the nanites inside him, assuming they were still there.

"Doctor Pike you said that you used these nanites to save me," he said. "Are they still inside me?"

"I'm afraid so," Virgil replied genuinely apologetic. "Once they finished repairing the damage to your body they proceeded to enhance you just like do us. They are a part of you now. Believe me Captain Adama had there been any other way to save you without using the nanites I would have done it."

"It's not your fault," Lee replied seeing that Doctor Pike was unhappy about having to use the nanites. "You saved my life I'm very grateful for that. Can you get these things out of me though?"

"I'm afraid not. The nanites have completely integrated themselves with your bodily systems. We cannot remove them without killing you. We can change one kind of nanite for another but we cannot remove them." Lee's shoulders slumped.

"I was afraid that you would say that," Lee said with a resigned sigh. _Looks like I'm going to have to get used to having these nanites inside me,_ he thought to himself surprised that he was accepting it so easily. "You said there are different kinds of nanites that go in people."

"Yes civilian and military," Pike replied. "Civilian nanites are the basic nanites which everyone's injected with at birth. They give all the general enhancements lengthened life expectancy, near perfect health, enhanced eye sight and hearing, plus enhanced strength, speed and endurance. Military class nanites give the same main enhancements but they boost strength more along with your speed and endurance and they also increase agility. Naturally military-class nanites are only used by the Hegemony Guard legally anyway. Mercenaries and pirates have been known to use military-class nanites when they can get their hands on them."

"Makes sense. So what kind are in me?"

"Military-class. There the only type we have on board as the _Avalon_ is a warship of the Hegemony Guard. Granted this vessel is only a long-range patrol cruiser not a front line combat ship but we are still a warship. Don't worry though about having the nanites inside you. We will help you adjust to there presence and learn your new capabilities."

"Thank you."

"It is the least that we can do," Doctor Pike replied with a warm smile. Lee smiled back and abruptly for the first time noticed that his feet were cold.

"Um are they're any boots or something that I can put on my feet," Lee asked. "Though what happened to my uniform?"

"It was badly contaminated it was beyond our ability to decontaminate – unlike the interior of your Viper – so we destroyed it," Pike replied. "That's why we provided you with the jumpsuit. There is a pair of boots to match it in the cupboard under the bed you woke up on."

"Ah I understand. If you'll excuse me then I will go and put the boots on," Lee said.

"Of course."

Lee smiled again then turned and walked back into the small room he had so recently come out of. Virgil Pike watched him go then turned and went back to his desk to apprise Captain Ramirez up on the bridge of the latest developments.


	5. Chapter Four: Contact

**Chapter Four: Contact**

**THS Avalon**

**A Few Hours Later**

Lee Adama sat quietly thinking in the officer's mess on board the _Avalon_. He'd come here shortly after being released from their medical bay and after briefly meeting the _Avalon's_ master Captain Ramirez. They'd talked for a little while and Lee had learned that the _Avalon_ accompanied by Kara's Red Squadron were heading for the fleet after having handily disposed of a assault force of Cylon Scimitars – with the _Avalon's_ weapons taking out the bulk of them. After that Lee had been asked if he wanted anything, he'd told them that he was hungry. So Doctor Pike had summoned an orderly and had Lee escorted to the officers mess where he could have something to eat.

That had been a few hours ago and Lee was still in the officers mess having eaten a very nice meal – though what the food had been he had no idea – and now just sitting here and thinking about how to explain everything that had happened to his father when he got to see him again and especially how to explain about the nanites. The whole idea of nanotechnology was so like some science fiction that Lee wasn't really sure that his father would believe it until he saw something relating to what nanites could do. But proving that nanites were real would bring its own set of problems, problems that could be very difficult to overcome.

Throughout the Colonial Remnant fleet there was a deep paranoia of highly advanced technologies – especially biomechanical technologies. It was understandable as it was common knowledge know that the Cylons were largely biomechanical – especially the computers on the Scimitar-class raiders and the humanoid Cylons. Still it would pose a problem for Lee. Many in the Remnant would believe that the nanites were just another form of Cylon technology – even though there was a galaxy of difference between nanites and observed Cylon technologies – and something to be feared.

Amongst those who would be deeply distrustful would be his father – Lee knew that for a fact. Even before the destruction of the colonies his father had been distrustful of advanced electronic technologies having lived through the first war with the Cylons. Though it was that distrust that had saved the _Galactica_ from destruction as his father had refused to allow networked computers on the ship, so the Cylons hadn't been able to shut her down before destroying her as they had done to the rest of the fleet.

William Adama would not like hearing about the nanites at all, he would like it even less when he was told that Lee now had billions of the things inside him keeping him alive as well as augmenting his bodies' abilities. Lee cringed as it suddenly occurred to him that his father might have him thrown in the brig until he was sure the nanites were no threat and that Lee was still Lee. _I hope he doesn't do it,_ Lee thought, _though I'll understand if he does. Though I'm sure I can expect to be thoroughly examined by Dr Baltar over this._

That thought made Lee frown. He didn't like Gaius Baltar at all, he hadn't since the moment he had first met him aboard _Colonial One_. There was something about the man that just put him off, though he was far too polite to show it and he would work with the man if ordered to do so. The thought that Baltar could end up examining him to determine if he was some form of Cylon or not was unpleasant to say the least. _If it happens I'll have to put up with it,_ Lee thought, _though I won't like it one bit._

The sound of someone clearing there throat caught Lee's attention, pulling him out of his increasingly bleak thoughts. He looked up to see one of the _Avalon's_ crewmen standing in front of him, a translator in place behind his ear looking identical to the one Lee himself was wearing. _How many of these things do they have around here,_ he wondered, _or do they make them as they need them. Would be easy enough for them to do that from what I've seen._

"Excuse me," the young man said softly. "Captain Ramirez would like to see you on the bridge. We're approaching your fleet. They've appeared on our long range scanners and will be in visual range in a short while."

"All right," Lee replied standing up and nearly pushing himself over as he pushed off the table with much more force than he had intended to. He would have landed flat on his back if the younger looking man hadn't quickly caught him. "Thanks."

"No problem," the crewmen replied as Lee steadied himself. "I guess it's hard for you huh, getting used to having nanites inside you."

"Yes. Isn't it hard for you people?"

"No. Remember we're injected with nanites when we're born so we grow up with them as part of us. Come on the captains waiting for us it would not be a good idea to keep him waiting."

Lee nodded and the younger man led him out of the officers mess towards the _Avalon's _command centre located deeper in towards the core of the ship where it like all vital systems was protected by as much armour as possible so the ship could continue to function and continue to either fight or withdraw even if the hull suffered a major breach.

When he entered the _Avalon's_ bridge Lee was surprised despite himself by how different it was to the combat information centre that also served as command central on a battlestar. Naturally it was smaller since at only six hundred metres long the _Avalon_ was smaller than the thirteen hundred metre long _Galactica_, there wasn't as much space available. Though quarters on the _Avalon_ were far from cramped from what Lee had seen even compared to those on a battlestar.

The design was also different. The bridge was an oval shape. A large crescent shaped console stood at the back of the bridge manned by two operators. Behind the operators were a series of panels covered in readouts built into the bulkheads. On either side was a pair of doors one of which Lee had come in through.

Forward of that big console was a leather backed chair that faced forwards but looked like it could rotate. Additional consoles were present in the room all facing forwards and with a crew member at each one. A wide central isle separated the workstations. In front of every workstation floated various holographic displays showing graphics and writing that Lee naturally did not understand.

Captain Ramirez sat in the central chair, exactly where Lee would have expected him to be. The _Avalon's_ commanding officer clearly heard something and glanced over at Lee and smiled when he saw him.

"Ah Captain Adama I see Crewmen Allen found you," Anton said in greeting. "Welcome to the bridge."

"Thank you sir," Lee replied stiffening to attention. Though they both held the rank of captain Anton was actually senior to him. The difference in rank structures between the Hegemony Guard and Colonial Fleet meant that in reality Anton was equal to a commander like his father. Anton smiled.

"You can stand easy Captain Adama you're not my subordinate since you're not in the Hegemony Guard. Instead you're my guest," Anton told him. Lee relaxed immediately. "That's better." Anton signalled dismissal to Crewman Allan who'd escorted Lee to the bridge. The crewmen saluted turned and left the bridge to return to his station in the security section.

"I understand that were approaching the fleet," Lee said.

"Yes we are," Anton replied. "Come here and look. Tactical display please."

Lee moved over and stood beside Anton as a holographic screen shimmered into existence in front of them. It showed what was obviously a sensors grid but one more detailed and accurate than anything Lee had ever seen before, it was certainly much better than the dradis screens he was used to.

The grid showed schematics of the remnant fleet that they were approaching, every single ship was displayed as a small model of itself, even the Vipers on combat space patrol were clearly shown buzzing around between the fleet ships. The miniature image of the _Galactica_ sat in the lead of the fleet where she always was, though Lee did notice that the _Galactica_ was surrounded by flashing amber brackets. Data streamed across the bottom of the screen but naturally Lee was unable to read what it said. Still the accuracy of the tactical display stunned him.

"What do those brackets around the _Galactica_ signify?" Lee asked curious.

"It means that the tactical computers have identified her as a warship and thus a potential threat," Anton replied smiling. "Though our scans show her weapons systems are armed but her guns are not targeting us, but even if they were the projectile weapons your ship is armed with would not be a threat. They'd have no chance of penetrating our shields." Lee blinked startled.

"You've got shields? Energy force fields," he asked stunned.

"Yes. Let me guess your people don't have that technology?"

"No we don't. It was researched for years but no one ever came up with a practical energy shield, the power demands were simply too great and we couldn't keep the field together. Shields have long been considered to be the stuff of science fiction," Lee replied.

"Shields are a practical reality for most species around here," Anton answered. "Though I'm not surprised you couldn't develop them they are a very sophisticated technology and require a lot of knowledge to develop. Plus you need better power sources than fusion generators and tylium energisers."

"Captain we've detected that Lieutenant Thrace's fighter is hailing the _Galactica,_" the bridge communications officer reported interrupting there conversation.

"Can we listen in," Anton asked.

"Yes sir. The signals scrambled but our systems are easily able to decode it."

"Then patch us into the signal but I don't want them to hear us yet."

"Aye, sir."

**

* * *

****Command and Control**

**Battlestar Galactica, A Short Time Later**

Lieutenant Gaeta sat at the main sensor station looking over the sensor readouts ahead of the fleet. The _Galactica_ and the whole fleet had now come to a full stop and were waiting for news of Starbucks squadron. There had been no contact with them for almost two hours now, long range communications were not getting through there was a lot of white noise interference on the long range communications channels consisted with the kind produced by a lot of radiation flying around so either there was a spatial anomaly up ahead that was pumping out ionised radiation that there sensors hadn't detected or a battle involving the firing of nuclear weapons had taken place ahead of the fleet.

Taking no chances Commander Adama had ordered the _Galactica_ to battle stations. Every available weapons system that they still had ammunition for had been armed, all damage and fire control posts were manned and their remaining Vipers had been deployed into a full combat space patrol throughout the fleet, ready to see off any Cylon Scimitars that jumped in. Commander Adama had also had Gaeta calculate a hyperlight jump for the fleet to a location away from this area – if they detected a Cylon task force closing in on them the _Galactica_ would engage them and buy time for the civilian ships to jump away to safety before jumping away herself.

A set of contacts appeared on Gaeta's long range sensor display. Most of the blips read as Colonial Vipers but one registered as something completely different. For one it was a capital ship of some kind though the configuration didn't match anything they had ever seen before. It wasn't Cylon the sensor profile was too different and the few energy emissions that they were able to detect at this range were different from anything put out by Cylon starship technology. It was to put it bluntly _alien_, and the Vipers were in escort formation around it.

"Commander we've got a group of incoming ships. Twelve Vipers and one unknown contact," he called out to Commander Adama standing near the dradis console/map table with Colonel Tigh.

"What do you mean by unknown contact," Colonel Tigh asked as both turned to look at Gaeta.

"There's a capital ship with them sir. The ship is reading as about the same size as one of the Atheon-class destroyers that were commissioned just before the Cylon attack. But the configuration does not match anything in our database."

"Cylon," Adama asked instantly worried that the Cylons had somehow taken over those Vipers and were trying a new means of sneaking up on the Colonial Remnant.

"Negative. I cannot get a good reading on it at this range but the energy emissions that we can detect are completely different to those put out by Cylon spacecraft. It's definitely alien."

"Are you sure," Tigh asked.

"Yes sir. Unknown ship is being escorted by our Vipers. I'm starting to get more readings on it now." As the range closed the alien ships readings became more apparent and he reported them as they came in. "Commander the ships not producing an ion drive trail they appear to be using some sort of focused gravimagnetic field for propulsion. The ships six hundred meters long and heavily armed sensors show twelve turret mounted cannons or unknown kind, two large fixed position cannons again of unknown kind, along with multiple ports that could be housing anything from rail guns and laser cannons to missile tubes. Their weapons systems are not active and gun ports are closed. Life signs…" Gaeta tailed off. _This can't be right,_ he thought and ran the scan again only to gain exactly the same results.

"What is it?" Commander Adama asked.

"Life signs are Human," Gaeta replied.

"What!" Adama exclaimed in shock, a shock shared by the rest of the crew in CIC.

"Confirm that," Tigh ordered.

"Confirmed sir. Human life signs are present on the unknown ship." There was a moment of silence in the _Galactica's_ command centre after Gaeta spoke everyone silently thinking the same thing. Could the unknown vessel possibly be from Earth? Had they finally found them? Or could this possibly be a Cylon trick of some kind?

"Sir were getting a message from Red Squadron leader," the young officer manning the communications station called out. The stations normal operator Lieutenant Duella or Dee as she was more commonly known was currently eight months pregnant and on maternity leave. Since she wasn't on active duty and wouldn't be for some time to come Dee wasn't currently on the _Galactica_. She was currently aboard _Colonial One_ with her husband who served as an aide to President Roslin.

"Put it through," Adama ordered. A second later the overhead speakers crackled to live.

"_Galactica_, Starbuck do you read," Starbucks voice said. "_Galactica,_ Starbuck do you read." Adama turned back around to the map table and picked up a microphone from its docking slot on the side.

"Starbuck, _Galactica_ actual. Nice to hear from you we were getting worried. What ship are you escorting?"

"There our saviours sir," Starbuck replied. "The ships name is the _Avalon_. They destroyed a full assault force of Cylon Scimitars that were probably laying another ambush for the fleet. Before they did that they rescued a survivor from Apollo's patrol. If I had to guess I'd say the patrol was ambushed by Cylon scouts. Only one pilot survived who I don't know. He's aboard the _Avalon_ and we haven't received any communication from them since just after our narrow escape from the Cylons a few hours ago. And theirs is one other thing."

"And what is that," Adama asked clamping down on the butterflies of hope suddenly fluttering about in his stomach. _Please Lords of Kobol let the surviving pilot be Lee,_ he though, _please._

"The _Avalon_ **is from Earth.**"

Like everyone else in CIC William Adama's jaw dropped open as Starbuck made her announcement and like everyone else he stared at the speakers in complete and utter amazement.

**

* * *

Bridge**

**THS Avalon**

The crew of the _Avalon_ listened as Lieutenant Thrace's last statement was met with complete silence. Lee for his part was struggling to suppress a smile as he imagined the astounded look on his fathers face at the revelation that Earth really was real.

"I think that's as good a signal as any," Anton Ramirez said finally breaking the silence. "Communications hail the _Galactica_. I want to talk to her commander. And make sure the translator is set."

"Aye, sir."

**

* * *

Command And Control**

**Battlestar Galactica**

For one of the few times in his life William Adama was completely and utterly amazed and without words. Had he heard Starbuck correctly? Had his guess and gamble two years ago been right after all? Was Earth real and was the _Avalon_ from there? Could there long flight from their Cylon adversaries really be over at last?

"Sir," the communications officer called out again. "We are being hailed by the _Avalon_."

Taking a deep breath and silently praying to the Lords of Kobol that he didn't say anything that could cause offence to the _Avalon's_ crew William answered.

"Put them on speakers," he ordered. The overhead speakers crackled and then a powerful male voice speaking with an accent unlike anything he had ever heard before came over the communications link.

"To the Colonial Battlestar _Galactica_ I am Captain Anton Ramirez commanding officer of the Terran Hegemony Starship _Avalon_." There was humour in the next statement that Captain Ramirez made. "I understand that you've been looking for us."


	6. Chapter Five: Calm Before A Storm

**Chapter Five: Calm Before A Storm**

**Cylon Basestar**

**Twenty Light Years From Colonial Fleet**

The model five humanoid Cylon – that colonials would recognise as being Aaron Doral – sat deep in thought, contemplating what their next move should be. The other two basestars in his three ship battle group had rendezvoused with his own ship ready to pounce on the Colonials that they knew were nearby. But they hadn't moved yet, a new variable had been added to the equation, a dangerous new variable that made them cautious. Cautious enough to summon additional ships, two more basestars were on course to this area and would be here soon.

The new variable was the unknown but powerful new Human vessel that the Scimitars Doral himself had dispatched to delay the colonials had encountered. Analysis of scan data from the surviving Scimitars had him worried; the new ship was armed with powerful energy weapons and if that wasn't bad enough the ship had the supposedly scientifically impossible energy force shields. Shields that Doral knew to be immensely strong as evidenced by the fact that the ship had been hit by enough nukes to destroy a hundred battlestars and not sustained any damage at all. He was not at all convinced that three basestars alone would be enough to breach its defences and destroy it.

But the thing that worried Doral the most about the new ship was the way it had seemed to be impervious to the powerful Cylon cyber attack and could retaliate in the same way, with devastating results. Analysis of the few surviving code fragments from the computer virus the Humans had used on the Scimitars had shown that the virus was very complex and based on a programming language that the Cylons could not really understand without more information. For the first time the Cylons were implementing complex firewalls on all vessels but it was taking time to fit them and the whole collective consciousness of the Cylon race was not at all sure that they would hold against a determined cyber attack from these new Humans – wherever they had come from as there technology was centuries ahead of that of both Cylons and Colonials. Though he didn't really want to believe it Doral knew of only one thing that could really explain where these new Humans had come from and why they were so different.

The thirteenth colony of Kobol, Earth, was real.

For Doral and his fellow Cylons that revelation was deeply worrying, especially considering the observed power of these new Humans. They had known it was a possibility that Earth was real; Commander Adama's bold statement after the Remnant had escaped them at Ragnar Anchorage had convinced them of that. It was the only reason why the Remnant hadn't been destroyed already; the Cylons had wanted the last of the Colonials to lead them there so they could destroy the Human race once and for all. Still somehow the Cylons hadn't reckoned on Earth being technologically more powerful than them, they had arrogantly assumed that Earth would be the same as any of the twelve colonies. The implication that this unknown Human warship implied – that Earth was much more powerful – was very worrying as it could mean for the first time they would be facing an uphill battle in there sacred quest to wipe the Human stain from the face of the universe.

A slight bleeping sound in his mind alerted Doral to new contacts on the ships dradis screens. He moved over to one of the screens and noticed that the two reinforcement basestars had just jumped in thirty thousand kilometres away and were moving into formation. _About time,_ he thought even as he connected his mind to the wireless network that linked all the ships together. He joined in the data exchange between all the ships, bringing the other two ships up to speed.

Once that was done they could plan their attack on the Remnant as well as devise a means of capturing the new ship so they could learn the location of Earth and how to overcome whatever it had in the way of defences.

**

* * *

Battlestar Galactica**

**A Short Time Later**

Commander William Adama stood besides President Laura Roslin in the control room for the _Galactica's_ portside flight pod and watched as a battered and battle-scarred Viper made its final approach to the _Galactica_.

The initial communication with the _Avalon_ hadn't gone too badly. William had found Captain Ramirez a pleasant enough conversationalist – at least over the comm – and the Terran officer had been very patient, so patient that William was willing to bet that the Terrans had had first contact situations in the past. At one point Lee had come on the line and William had struggled to keep his emotional control when he had heard his sons voice he'd managed it just but internally he'd wanted to break down and cry in relief.

Since that initial contact the _Avalon_ had come alongside the _Galactica_ and its six hundred meter length made it look small when compared to the one thousand three hundred meter long battlestar. A number of officers from the _Avalon_ including Captain Ramirez would be shuttling over to the _Galactica_ later for a face to face meeting with Commander Adama, President Roslin and the Quorum of the Twelve. Ramirez wanted to meet them face to face before giving them a course that would take the fleet into Terran controlled space, he wanted to determine there intentions a reasoning that both Adama and Roslin could understand and even agreed with. Had it been the Terrans discovering the twelve colonies Colonial Fleet would have done the same. In fact given the technology they had so far seen the Terrans have they would have been even more cautious about letting them approach the colonies.

Now though before they actually dealt with the Terrans directly Lee was returning to the _Galactica_ for a thorough debrief and to given them his opinions on the Terrans. A debrief that would be conducted solely by Commander Adama and President Roslin. It was certainly going to be an interesting debrief but first things first William wanted Lee to be examined by _Galactica's_ own medical personnel as well as tested by Dr Baltar. Just to make sure that this wasn't some elaborate Cylon plot. He hoped that it wasn't a trick, William didn't know what he would do if Lee wasn't really Lee but a new model humanoid Cylon.

The Viper came in to land and looking at it as it set down on the flight deck William grimaced at seeing all the carbon scoring over the outside. If it was that damaged on the outside he hated to think what the insides would be like. True all military electronics were hardened against EMP impact but even that protection could be overwhelmed and there were other systems like hydraulic lines which could be damaged by the impact. _Tyrol's going to have a fit when he sees the damage,_ William thought. It was a miracle that it was still flying and a testament to his son's skill as a pilot that he was able to fly the damaged Viper. Below the lift activated and the Viper began to be lowered to the main hanger on the level below.

Silently he turned to leave the room to go down to the hanger to meet up with his son. President Roslin silently turned as well and followed.

**

* * *

Viper Cockpit**

Captain Lee Adama was nervous as his battered Viper was lowered to the hanger deck below. He was nervous about meeting up with his father again though he knew that his father would be over the moon at seeing him alive and well. Still he was worried about how he'd react, especially when he told him about the nanites.

The lift came to a stop with a familiar thud and Lee shook his head. No matter how Tyrol tried he couldn't get the gambol locks to work properly. The maintenance chief had long since given up trying to fix them. Especially now that they had a perennial shortage of spare parts – but even before the attack spare parts for old Columbia-class battlestars like _Galactica_ had been in short supply. A tractor came forward and locked a probe into a docking slot on the underside of the Vipers nose and began to pull the Viper forward to its docked position.

After a moment or two the Viper came to a stop and a hanger crew rushed up with a ladder and began locking the Viper down. Lee powered open the canopy before taking his helmet off. One of the ground crew took it from him before unlocking the docking collar around his neck and removing that as well. Once the crewman was clear Lee stood up and carefully climbed out the Viper – not that he was in danger of being hurt by a fall from the Viper anymore. Due to the augmentation provided by the nanites it would take much more than a simple fall to do him any harm, plus any minor injury the nanites would repair almost instantly.

He climbed down the ladder more from instinct than conscious thought his conscious mind was working on keeping his hearing under control as the sounds of the hanger deck were striking his ears with almost painful intensity. He was trying desperately to get his auditory perception down to normal. After a few moments he finally managed it and hid a sigh of relief as the sounds of the hanger deck dropped down to normal.

"Captain what did you do to my Viper?" Chief Tyrol asked from behind him. Lee spun around and saw an almost pained look on Tyrol's face as he examined the damage to the Viper with an expert eye. Without waiting for Lee to answer Tyrol began walking around the Viper assessing how much damage had been done and muttering to himself. And you didn't have to have nanite-enhanced hearing to know Tyrol was complaining to himself about careless pilots who didn't look after there machines properly.

Hiding a grin Lee started across the hanger deck towards the pilot's ready room where he could get out of his flight clothes and into his normal uniform. But before that he was going to have a shower.

He didn't get there.

Just as he was about to reach the ready room the doors to the lift from the control room on the deck above opened and his father came through followed closely by President Roslin and flanked by two ships security personnel. Lee sighed to himself. _Here we go,_ he thought.

As they approached him Lee brought himself to attention. His father approached much closer than he normally would when they faced each other as superior officer to junior officer and he realised that at this moment he was not just facing his commanding officer but he was also facing a very relieved father.

For a long moment neither of them spoke. Not quiet sure exactly what to say to each other or how to say it. Fortunately they were both spared from speaking because President Roslin came up and noticing the uncertainty between them decided to do something about it.

"Report please captain. What happened out there with your patrol?" Roslin said making it an order much to the relief of both Adama men.

"We were ambushed madam president," Lee replied formally. "Reaper and I were passing through the planetary system that lies directly along the fleet's current course. A pair of Cylon Scimitars jumped us. They used the magnetic field of one of the gas giants to mask their approach from our scanners. Reaper was blown out of the sky before we could react. I managed to avoid the initial barrage meant to destroy me as well and gunned down one raider in the process. The other raider kept chasing me. When it couldn't nail me with its rail guns it fired a nuclear missile at me. Since theirs no missile countermeasure system on a Mark-III Viper there was only one thing I could do."

"I get it," William said. "You waited until the missile was locked onto the heat emissions from your thrusters then dove at the raider."

"Exactly. I pulled up at the last possible moment and the missile wasn't able to change course quickly enough and hit the raider and immediately exploded. I caught the edge of the blast wave. I got knocked unconscious and got a very nasty dose of radiation. Fortunately the nuclear blast showed up on the _Avalon's_ long range scanners and caught their interest. They came to investigate and took me on board. From what there doctor told me I was really, really sick when they took me onboard."

"How sick," William asked nervously.

"Put it this way if they hadn't come along I wouldn't be here now," Lee replied and noticed his father shiver slightly as he said that. "Thankfully the radiation poisoning wasn't beyond the capabilities of Terran medical technology, which is far beyond our own, to heal. Thanks to them I'm as fit as fiddle."

"We'll let Doctor Salik be the judge of that," William said in his commander's tone. "Report to the sickbay for a thorough examination."

Lee drew himself to attention again. "Yes sir," he responded. He looked over at Roslin. "With your leave madam president?"

"That will not be necessary," Roslin said smiling slightly. "We will be going with you." Lee nodded his understanding. It would be better if they were present when he told Dr Salik about the nanites anyway – it would save him explaining it all twice. Though he was still nervous as to how his father would react when he heard about the nanites.

"Let's go," William ordered before turning around and heading back to the entrance to the hanger level and beyond that the corridor that ran along one of the arms that connected the hanger pod to the rest of the ship. Lee followed with the president bringing up the rear.

**

* * *

Sickbay**

**A Short Time Later**

The trip to the sickbay was a short one but to Lee worried as he was by how everyone would react once the learned about the nanites when they learned about them it felt like a marathon.

The _Galactica's_ chief medical officer Dr Pauline Salik was waiting for them along with a pair of orderlies. That was expected what was not expected was the fact that Dr Gaius Baltar was also present in the main treatment room; his right hand was covered by a bandage.

"Dr Baltar I'm surprised to see you here," Roslin said noticing the doctor.

"I hurt my hand earlier," Baltar replied. "I came here to get it treated." He silently prayed to the Lords of Kobol – however odd that was for someone who generally didn't believe in religion – that Roslin wouldn't ask how he'd injured his hand that would be awkward since no one here knew or even suspected that he had a Cylon biosynthetic chip in his head put there by a certain model six Cylon who he alternatively loved and hated in equal measure.

Fortunately he was spared the awkward question for at that moment Dr Salik asked Commander Adama what they were doing here. Quickly William answered her explaining that he wanted her to give Lee a thorough physical examination to determine if he was as alright as he said he was.

"I see that's no problem," Salik said. "If you'll come over here captain." Lee followed her over to the diagnostic bed. He climbed on and lay down flat.

"Before we do this I need to tell you something," Lee said.

"Whatever it is can wait captain," Salik replied starting up her diagnostic bed. Lee sighed in resignation as the diagnostic arch began to slowly scan along his body. "Everything looks o… what in the world," Salik said.

"What is it?" President Roslin asked.

"The diagnostic scan is picking up something very odd," Salik replied. "Anonymous activity in Captain Adama's cells and bloodstream. It almost looks like a virus; let me narrow the scan field."

"It's not a virus, or should I say there not a virus," Lee said.

"What do you mean Lee?" Commander Adama asked as Doctor Salik ran another scan on a much more sensitive setting. Immediately recoiling in surprise at what she saw.

"Commander you should see this," she said. "It's not a virus, there are machines billions of them swarming through Captain Adama's body. There integrated with every system, skin, bones, muscles, organs, even hair, everywhere. I've never seen anything like this, not even in the bodies of the humanoid Cylons I've examined."

"Let me have a look," Baltar said moving over and looking at the screens himself and his eyes widened in surprise. "What are these things? If I didn't know any better I'd say that its nanotechnology, but that's impossible."

"Not for the Terrans," Lee answered. "This is what I was trying to tell you. When they rescued me the Terrans injected me with a form of technology called nanites. It was the only way they could save me from death. The only drawback being the nanites integrated themselves with me, just like they do in the body of a Terran."

"Even if nanotech was possible I don't think anything like that would be possible," Baltar said. "That's the stuff of bad science fiction."

"Doctor Baltar, Terran technology is far beyond ours," Lee pointed out. "Just because something was impossible on the colonies doesn't mean its universally impossible."

"Will someone tell me is this Cylon technology or is it Terran technology?" Commander Adama asked, hiding his emotions behind an iron mask. He wanted to believe what Lee was saying that it was Terran technology, even though the very idea of microscopic machines that could go inside a human and alter them filled him with profound apprehension. But at the same time he couldn't discount the possibility that it was Cylon technology.

"No," Baltar replied, shaking his head. "This is way beyond Cylon technology. There is no silica components of any kind or any of the other hallmarks universal to Cylon technology. It's alien."

"And very interesting alien technology at that Gaius," a familiar, seductive female voice said in his ear, even as a phantom sensation of breath on his skin made the hairs on his skin. A moments glance down showed Six's arm around him. Baltar resisted the impulse to sigh, Six did on half pick her moments to make her presence known.

"So it could well be Terran," Salik said.

"It's possible," Baltar admitted reluctantly. "If the Terrans have cracked the problem and developed this technology then it would be fascinating to find out how they did it."

"Indeed it would be Gaius," Six said seductively. "The secrets of nanotechnology would be of great benefit to us."

"This is fascinating but can you tell what the effects of this technology are Dr Salik," Roslin asked.

"I already know madam president," Lee said. "The nanites that are in me can't affect anyone else, they are locked onto my DNA and my DNA alone. I know the effects of the nanites on the human body, the Terrans told me and have offered to help me adapt to all the changes."

"And what are the changes Lee," Commander Adama asked.

"The nanites provide a number of health and physiological benefits," Lee replied.

"What kind of benefits," Dr Salik asked interested.

"Enhanced senses, slowed aging once maturity has been reached, speed and strength that's almost superhuman. Near perfect general health and they can repair the Human body far more efficiently than the body can on its own."

"Fascinating," Salik replied. "Can the nanites be removed?"

"They cannot. From what they said I gather that once nanites are a part of you you are dependent on them to stay alive. They can change one kind of nanite for another but removing them is impossible. From the tone of the Terran doctors voice when he said that you can infer that even attempting to remove nanites from a person is tantamount to attempting to commit murder."

"I'm sure I like the sound of that," Roslin said.

"Tell you the truth madam president I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of having billions of tiny machines inside me for the rest of my life but there their and I'm going to have to learn to live with them and control all the new abilities that have suddenly been dumped in my lap," Lee replied.

"What kind of abilities are you talking about," William asked.

Before Lee could answer the harsh wail of the general quarters klaxon filled the air.

"Now what," Roslin wondered aloud. William for his part was already diving for a comm panel on the wall. He called CIC.

"Commander to CIC what is going on," he demanded.

"Will we've got a big problem," Tigh's voice responded.

"What kind of problem," William asked, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine. Something told him this was not going to be good news.

"We've got five Cylon basestars coming right at us."


	7. Chapter Six: By Inferno's Light

**Chapter Six: By Inferno's Light**

**THS Charybdis**

**Thirty Minutes Earlier**

Captain Teresa McDowell sat in her quarters aboard the great battlecruiser that had been her command for the last fifteen years ever since the _Charybdis_ was launched from the Antares Fleet Yards.

Currently the _Charybdis_ was cruising through the outlying sectors of the Terran Hegemony on a general circumvention patrol of the Hegemony's boarders keeping a watch for any new species encroaching on there territory and making sure the military forces of the races known to them kept in there own space. Interspecies trade routes and other mundane traffic was not there concern - keeping an eye on that and protecting it from pirates was the job of the patrol cruiser fleet. Still the presence of a Terran battlecruiser in this part of space was having a noticeable impact on pirate activity - in areas within the _Charybdis' _jump range instances of piracy were noticeably absent, no freebooter wanted to run the risk of bumping into the _Charybdis _and her massed firepower.

Teresa was sitting at her desk in her spacious quarters reading some systems status reports on a holographic display hovering in front of her when the comm unit built into her uniform sleeve bleeped.

"Yes," she said tapping it.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am but we are receiving a priority communication from Admiral Jansen at local sector command." the voice of her first officer Commander Brian Hawkins replied. "He wants to speak to you on a most urgent matter." Instantly Teresa was alert, sector command admirals did not make a habit of calling up patrolling warships without a very good reason.

"Put him through," she ordered.

"Aye, ma'am," Brian replied before signing off. A window opened on the holographic screen in front of Teresa and expanded instantly to fill the screen. The newly opened communications screen showed the face and upper torso of Admiral Gregory Jansen the man who was in general command of all Hegemony Guard assets in this sector. Like almost everyone he appeared as a young man in his mid-twenties but Teresa knew full well that Admiral Jansen was just shy of a hundred years old.

"Admiral Jansen this is an unexpected surprise," Teresa said. "How may I help you?"

"Hello Captain McDowell," Admiral Jansen said warmly. "I have an assignment for you, an assignment of the utmost importance."

"The _Charybdis_ is at your service admiral. What do you require of us?"

"A few hours ago the patrol cruiser _Avalon_ under the command of Captain Anton Ramirez detected a small thermonuclear detonation just outside our boarders in unexplored territory," Admiral Jansen replied. "They immediately jumped to the area to investigate and discovered a primitive fighter adrift in space crippled by the plasma blast wave of the nuclear detonation. What they discovered was a young human of unknown origin, the initial report confirms that medical scans he did not come from anywhere inside our territory and we can confirm from the technology that he did not come from the Interstellar Coalition either."

"Interesting but what do you want my ship to do admiral," Teresa asked, while trying to figure out why the name Anton Ramirez was familiar to her.

"A short time later the _Avalon_ was attacked by unknown alien fighters armed with nuclear missiles and rail guns. At the same time the _Avalon_ also encountered a group of fighters identical to the one they found the young human on and also crewed by human pilots however weapons are just rail guns. The full details will be included in a briefing I am sending on a sub-channel. After a brief engagement with the unknowns the _Avalon _contacted the human fighters." Teresa nodded to indicate that she was paying attention to what was being said. All the while her head was reeling, wondering where these new humans could have come from.

"What they learned is that the alien fighters belong to a machine race called the Cylons that are apparently intent on wiping out all human life in the galaxy," Admiral Jansen continued. "Apparently these Cylons attacked and wiped out twelve planets that these strangers who call themselves Colonials lived on. They apparently have a refugee fleet heading straight towards our territory or so they claim. The _Avalon_ was going out to meet them."

"I take it admiral that you do not believe these Colonials," Teresa said.

"I am not sure captain. That is why I want you to take the _Charybdis _out to the coordinates provided to the _Avalon_ by the Colonial fighters. If these Colonials are indeed refugees then you are authorised to bring them here to the Arlan system."

"And if they are not what they claim to be?"

"Then you will access there objectives and take any action that is appropriate. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly sir."

"Good. As I said in-depth information has been included on a sub-channel it will be in your ships computer as an attachment to this transmission. I would suggest that you read through it before jumping to the area."

"Understood sir."

"Report back to me as soon as you have some information on these Colonials and about these Cylons as well sir. While observed technology so far indicates that the Cylons are no threat to us we cannot be complacent, not with tensions the way they are with the Ovions at this moment in time."

"Aye, sir."

"Good luck out there captain and good luck."

"Thank you sir." Admiral Jansen nodded and disappeared as the communications link with sector command in the Arlan system was terminated. The communications window closed down and the original screen returned, but now there was a flashing icon indicating that a data burst had been received on a sub-channel. A quick command to Teresa's console brought up the attached file on her screen and she carefully began to read through it.

After a few minutes of careful reading Teresa nodded and sent the coordinates indicated in the data burst to navigation before tapping her communications unit.

"Captain McDowell to bridge," she said. "I have just sent some coordinates to navigation, set course immediately with the minimum number of jumps."

"Aye, ma'am," Commander Hawkins responded. "Captain might I ask what is going on?"

"I will be on the bridge shortly commander I will fill you in then," Teresa replied. "In the meantime just plot the course."

"Yes, ma'am." Teresa closed the communications link with the bridge and for a moment looked at the holographic screen again. Then she sighed and saved the work she had been doing before Admiral Jansen's call, before closing down her terminal. The holographic screen vanished; Teresa stood up and headed out of her quarters towards the bridge of the mighty Legend-class battlecruiser.

As she walked she mulled over the information that she had been given about recent events on the boarder, she felt for these Colonials, she really did. If they had indeed been the victim of a nuclear holocaust at the hands of these Cylons, then the Terran Hegemony would not turn them away. Instead they would offer them shelter and the protection of the might of the Hegemony Guard. However if they were lying and they had hostile intentions then Teresa would make sure that they learned how big a mistake antagonising the Hegemony would be. Either way what happened next was going to be interesting.

Teresa was absolutely certain about that.

**

* * *

Battlestar Galactica**

**Twenty Minutes Later**

Commander William Adama stood in silent and horrified, Tigh's words echoing in his mind. _Five basestars,_ his mind screamed at him, _Lords of Kobol_ _help us._ After a moment he came out of his stunned state and began issuing orders, all the while knowing that this would probably be the end for the _Galactica_ but he would be damned if he would let the civilian ships be destroyed.

"Contact all civilian ships tell them to begin emergency FTL jumps to secondary coordinates," he ordered. "Launch all Vipers, then place us between the civilian ships and the Cylons. All weapons commence area suppression barrage as soon as the Cylons are within range."

"Yes, sir," Tigh responded, before signing off. William put the phone back on its mounting and turned to look at the assembled people in the life station, his expression grave.

"It's bad isn't it," Laura Roslin asked.

"Five basestars, they'll be launching Raiders any time now," William replied. "Madam President I would suggest that you return to _Colonial One _immediately. It's highly unlikely that the _Galactica_ will survive this battle."

For a moment Laura looked torn, her personal feelings told her to remain here on the _Galactica._ But then her duty as leader of what was left of their people took over and she reluctantly nodded and left the room to go back to where _Colonial One's _shuttle was docked. At the same time Lee got up off the diagnostic bed, drawing William's attention. Lee looked at his father silently asking him for permission to go the flight bay and get out there to help protect the fleet. For a moment William was torn not sure if he should let Lee go, they didn't know what the nanites had done to him altogether, but looking into Lee's eyes he saw the person he had always seen.

"Go," he said at last.

Lee smiled. "Thank you," he said softly, before turning and running out of the room heading for the port flight pod as quickly as he could.

The journey to the flight pod took less than a minute and as he stopped outside the entrance to the hanger deck he blinked in surprise. When he'd been running then he'd be running much faster than he ever had in his life before, faster than he'd ever seen anyone run. After a moment he shrugged guessing that the nanites were responsible for it, before he hurried into the hanger deck to grab a Viper and go kill some toasters.

**

* * *

THS Avalon**

**That Same Time**

Captain Anton Ramirez had been in his quarters reading up on the protocols for first contact meetings when the battle stations klaxons had started sounding throughout the ship. Now he came running onto the bridge as alert lights pulsed throughout the ship.

"Report," he ordered as he moved to the command chair.

"Five large unidentified warships just jumped in and are closing on our location," tactical reported. "The readings are almost identical to those of the Cylon fighters we encountered earlier. All five ships are heavily armed with a mixture of missile batteries and rail guns."

"Alien vessels launching fighters," sensors added. "Scanners read fourteen hundred fighters in total. Configuration is identical to the ones we encountered earlier. Their Cylon." _As if they were going to be anything else,_ Anton thought.

"Time to weapons range," he asked.

"One minute thirty seconds," tactical reported.

"Status of the Colonial fleet?"

"The _Galactica's_ weapons systems are powering up and she's moving to place herself between the Cylon warships and the civilian ships," sensors reported. "The civilian ships are starting to power up their hyperlight drives but we're detected that a number of the ships are having difficulty and are only powering up slowly."

"Helm more us up so were alongside the _Galactica_, prepare to deploy a spread of countermeasures between ourselves and the Colonial fleet. Deploy a spread to cover the _Galactica_ as well," Anton ordered.

"Aye, sir," came the response from the respective stations.

"Captain the Cylon ships are launching raiders," tactical added a moment later. "I count…" The tactical lieutenant's voice trailed off in a mixture of stunned disbelief and horror.

"How many are there," Commander Romanikov asked from the first officer's station.

"I count fourteen hundred raiders," tactical reported. _Fourteen hundred,_ Anton's mind screamed at him in disbelief. That was an incredible number of fighter craft to be launched from just five ships. Simple mathematics said that for that number of fighters to be launched each warship had to carry anywhere from two hundred to three hundred fighters. No known ship carried that many, not even Ovion hiveships or Trenik star fortresses. _How in the universe are we going to stop that many,_ Anton thought, _we don't have enough AFM's on board for that._

"Stand by on all AFM launchers," Anton ordered after a moment. He was about to speak again when the tactical station bleeped for attention.

"Cylon forces entering missile range," tactical reported. "Approaching raiders launching missiles, reading nuclear warheads, looks like a saturation strike directed at both us and the _Galactica_."

"Launch countermeasures heaviest deployment in front of the _Galactica_," Anton ordered. "Fire AFM's at approaching fighters. Lock torpedoes on the closest enemy capital ship and fire."

"Sir the _Galactica_ is launching fighters."

"Understood, program the AFM's to recognise the _Galactica's_ fighters as friendly."

"Aye sir."

* * *

A storm of projectile weapons launched from the _Avalon_. The countermeasure missiles detonated almost immediately, deploying their clouds of nanites and specifically shaped shrapnel clouds between the _Avalon_, _Galactica_ and the other Colonial ships and the incoming Cylon missiles. Anti-fighter missiles raced to attack the Cylon raiders and eight antimatter torpedoes streaked forth from the launchers on the _Avalon's_ port and starboard underside and streaked towards the closest Cylon basestar.

The first Cylon missiles reached the countermeasure screens almost immediately. Instantly missiles began dying as nanites either compromised their detonation systems or they impacted the shrapnel designed to detonate missiles. Blue-white blasts of star fire erupted as nuclear warheads detonated, the blasts vaporising or detonating many neighbouring missiles in an inferno of destruction.

As the miniature nebula of energy, plasma and hard radiation blazed between the various human ships and the Cylons the AFM salvo from the _Avalon_ deployed. Slamming multiple small but highly advanced sub munitions into the advancing hoard of Scimitars, instantly twenty five Cylons raiders ceased to exist. Completely wiped from existence by the high tech weaponry fired at them from the Terrans, yet despite the destruction it was little more than a tiny blow to the massive numbers of Scimitars, which immediately set about avenging the destruction of their fellows. Nearly three hundred fired two nuclear missiles apiece at the _Avalon_.

More countermeasures launched from the _Avalon_ to intercept the six hundred nuclear missiles inbound towards her, at the same time her torpedoes closed to terminal acquisition range on the closest Cylon basestar. Detecting the approaching torpedoes the basestar began firing its rail guns, filling space between it and the weapons with a virtual storm of solid, kinetic rounds. The rail guns shots ripped into the torpedoes tearing through the thin metal covering around the warheads to rip through the delicate innards of all but one of the weapons. Containment fields collapsed and matter met antimatter with predictable results, seven of the eight torpedoes detonated in titanic blasts of raw energy.

The blasts from their deaths wiped out the rail gun rounds and sent a massive electromagnetic shock wave slamming into the basestar, overloading and crashing systems. Internal explosions erupted as power lines overloaded and blew out, power to defensive systems failed momentarily leaving the basestar wide open to the remaining torpedo. Unopposed the last antimatter warhead slammed into the lower section of the basestar and detonated with the force of two gigatons. The blast enveloped the basestar; the alloys of which it was constructed had never been designed to cope with the searing firestorm of matter/antimatter mutual annihilation. Cylon armour vaporised allowing massive destructive fists of plasma to tear deep into the hull. Fuel lines detonated as tylium was instantly superheated and caught fire, spreading destructive explosions throughout the doomed basestar. One of the FTL drive units detonated accelerating the demise of the once mighty vessel.

Barely three seconds later – before the torpedo detonation flash had had time to fully diminish – the basestar blew apart. Disintegrating in a series of ever increasing internal explosions that culminated in a final massive detonation as its reactor core was breached.

**

* * *

Command Basestar**

Doral stared in a mixture of shock and disbelief as an entire basestar was wiped out of space by a single projectile weapon. The sensors revealed that the weapon blast had not been a nuclear explosion, it was far to powerful for any nuke, no the sensors had revealed that incredibly it had been a weapon with an antimatter based warhead. Doral knew that both his own kind and the Colonials had theorised about such weaponry but neither Colonial or Cylon had yet been able to develop the technology to manufacture anymore than token amounts of antimatter. Certainly neither had the ability to make enough to be used in weapons.

He kept his eyes on the sensor display as the salvo of six hundred nukes fired from the Scimitars ran straight into one of those strange screens deployed by projectiles fired from the suspected thirteenth colony warship. Sensors showed that the cloud like screens was composed of shaped shrapnel and something else, something they couldn't quite identify. Doral frowned as missiles began detonating, taking more missiles with them as they died. His frown deepened when nearly three hundred missiles broke through the screen to run into a tightly woven web of red and gold energy bolts being thrown out by the warship. Small explosions peppered space as missiles were hit with incredibly focused and precise energy bolts.

Of the three hundred missiles that impacted the web of energy a hundred broke through to slam into the energy shield surrounding the ship and detonating in mighty blaze of blue-white light that completely enveloped the ship. After a moment the warship reappeared out of the firestorm its shields glowing brightly surrounding it with a cocoon of energy as they reflected the energy of the nukes back out into space. More small projectiles launched from the ship towards the Scimitars. At the same time the _Galactica_ began firing her flak batteries and dorsal rail gun turrets filling space with a dense wall of projectiles, cutting a swath of destruction through the advancing Scimitars knocking down them and their missiles.

Doral considered for a moment. The thirteenth colony ship was clearly the bigger tactical threat at this moment in time than the _Galactica_ but he couldn't let the Colonials go. After a moment he made his decision, he ordered two hundred Scimitars to concentrate on destroying the _Galactica_ and the other Colonial ships while the rest and all four remaining basestars would engage the other ship.

At the back of his mind Doral sensed the mind of the ship and the minds of the other ships reaching out across space to access and disrupt the ships computer network. Mentally Doral crossed his fingers and hoped it would work. It didn't the ships firewalls held and a millisecond later Doral screamed as a lance of pain rippled through his head as the new ship returned there attack with one of its own. The ships firewalls faltered and started to give way as an incursive alien computer virus began to thread its way into the ships systems.

Clutching at his head Doral screamed again as the pain got worse as the virus started to spread through the ships network and into the communications systems. Pushing aside Cylon firewalls and forcing the ships computer matrix to begin running antiviral programs to adapt to and defeat the alien virus.

**

* * *

Port Flight Pod**

**Battlestar Galactica, A Few Minutes Earlier**

"Launch Vipers," the command came over the commlink in Lee's ear. Barely a second later he was jerked back in his seat as an electromagnetic catapult threw his Viper and others down the launch tubes into open space. He immediately engaged the engines and pulled the Viper clear of the _Galactica_.

"Okay people you know how to fight this," he said into his commlink. "We've done it enough times that I shouldn't have to tell you again. But if you don't know. Drive at the Cylon raiders formation force them to break up and take them out one on one don't get cocky. But everyone watch yourselves we've got a new friend with us this time and I don't want any friendly fire incidents."

"Not that we'd do the _Avalon_ any harm," Kara's voice said back. "Her shielding would block our fire without even noticing."

"Be that as it may watch yourself Starbuck," Lee replied sternly.

"All right Apollo keep your shirt on," Starbuck shot back. Despite himself Lee couldn't help but smile at Starbuck's tone.

Out the corner of his eyes Lee saw the nuclear fuelled plasma nebula burst into existence as the Cylon missile barrage ran into a countermeasure screen launched from the _Avalon_. Defensive energy weapons on the _Avalon_ burst into life as some of the missiles came through scorched by the inferno creating miniature explosions as they hit there targets.

He turned his attention to the swarm of Cylon raiders just as another AFM salvo from the _Avalon_ tore through there ranks wiping nearly twenty of them from the heavens in a single blow. He would be in weapons range of the Cylons in seconds. A brilliant explosion abruptly caught his attention and he looked to see one of the Cylon basestars die in a massive explosion.

"Scratch one basestar," one of the squadron said. "Something from the _Avalon_ must have hit them." Lee nodded in agreement but didn't reply as at the moment the Cylons came into there engagement range. As soon as the Vipers entered cannon range he and the other pilots in the lead Vipers opened up with every weapon that they had. Several Cylons were blown to pieces instantly as the Vipers blew straight through their lines. Turning rapidly the Vipers all broke formation charging at the Cylons from separate directions.

A raider came into Lee's gun sights, a split second later faster than he ever thought he could act three streams of projectiles from his Mark-VII Vipers guns. The Scimitar shattered under the fire and exploded as ordinance and fuel detonated.

"Apollo you've got one on your tail," another pilot warned. Lee took his Viper straight up as a volley of rail gun projectiles passed through his previous position. Banking in a normally high gee manoeuvre he spun the Viper so the raider was passing beneath him and fired his guns destroying the Cylon. Despite himself Lee was startled that he felt absolutely no effect from gee forces as he performed the move. _Guess that's another thing the nanites have done to me,_ he thought, _increased my gee tolerance_.

"Little help," Starbuck called. Lee saw that Kara was being pursued by three Cylon raiders and she was ducking and weaving like mad to avoid there fire. _Galactica's_ guns added their weight to the fray at that moment knocking down the Scimitars chasing her along with dozens more that Lee could see.

Lee was about to comment when he saw out of the corner of his eyes two Scimitars coming at him from the right. _Oh frak,_ Lee thought as he tried to bring his Viper around before the Cylons could get him, until abruptly the Cylon fighters jerked in space, their engines shut down and both began drifting unpowered.

"What the frak," Starbuck said over the squadron communications link as all around Cylon Scimitars began loosing power or behaving in odd ways. Two colliding with each other destroying both, others firing randomly hitting each other or hitting nothing at all as they tumbled unpowered through space. "What's up with the toasters?"

"I don't know," Lee replied, observing four more Cylon raiders crash into each other while dozens more were blasted from sky by the onslaught of projectiles from the _Galactica's_ suppression batteries. "But I don't really care, let's just get them."

"Right with you Apollo," Starbuck agreed.

"Then what are we doing just sitting here," Lee asked. "Let's get um."

Without speaking further Lee fired his engines and shot towards the tumbling, helpless Cylons firing his guns. Starbuck followed him firing her own guns, their combined fire tearing through the Cylon raiders both the Scimitars and the larger heavy variant. All around other Viper pilots took their lead and began slaughtering the currently defenceless Cylons.

**

* * *

Battlestar Galactica**

Commander William Adama kept his eyes on the dradis screen as the _Galactica_ moved closer to one of the four remaining Cylon basestars, her flak batteries continuing to fire blasting powerless raiders from existence. Seeing the Cylons dying so easily inwardly made him smile, after four years of flight they were finally delivering some payback to their Cylon pursuers.

"Sir the main batteries have a firing solution on the closest basestar, loaders are ready for salvo fire," Lieutenant Gaeta reported from his station.

"Fire," Adama ordered.

* * *

With a thunderous rumble that echoed through the ship the twin heavy forward rail guns in the _Galactica's_ bow fired for the first time in many years, each massive cannon throwing out a solid lump of metal the size of a Viper, accelerating them to three quarters light speed. They crossed the distance to the Cylon basestar to fast for the basestar to evade, even if its propulsion systems had been online, impacting it dead in the middle just as its running lights stopped flickering as the Cylons on board got their systems back online.

Explosions erupted on the basestar as the projectiles ripped into the armoured hull, their colossal kinetic force being turned straight into energy. The armour held against the blows but was deeply dented inwards glowing white hot from the force of impact.

The _Galactica's_ guns fired again, sending out two more projectiles, followed by two more. They slammed into the basestar right on the heels of the first two. The first two punched through the weakened hull of the Cylon vessel. Explosions rippled across the whole section as the hull buckled and explosive decompression ripped apart whole sections of the mighty warship. The second two passed through the breaches in the hull to slam into the delicate innards of the Cylon warship, one puncturing one of the primary tylium fuel stores for the lower raider bays, the other striking one of the ammunition stores. Massive secondary explosions rippled through the basestar, spreading destruction deeper into the massive vessel.

* * *

Within the damaged basestar the hybrid Cylon systems finally found and deleted the cyber attack that had crippled their ships, the painful worm virus was filtered out and the cure sent out across the fleet.

Seconds later the raiders and troops ships began moving again, their guns and engines coming to life. The usually agile and fast fighters could barely move their biological and mechanical systems painful and sluggish, the fighters began the slow and difficult fight back against the colonial fighters.

* * *

Wracked with fire and explosions from burning tylium and detonating ordinance the Cylon vessel returned fire, its dorsal missile batteries firing several missiles amongst them a nuclear missile at the _Galactica_. A moment later the explosions tearing through it reached the basestars main tylium fuel cells with predictable results, the basestar blew apart from within disintegrating in a series of massive internal blasts, each one more devastating and powerful than the last. When the blasts faded all that was left of the basestar were barely recognisable lumps of metal, burning from residual oxygen and leaking fuel.

Even as the ship that had fired them died, the Cylon missiles closed in upon the _Galactica_. Dense defensive flak fire from the battlestar detonated four of the missiles well short of the ship, but the last three – including the nuke – slammed into the ship. The two conventional warheads exploded against the armour just aft of the bow, the nuclear warhead exploded against the dorsal surface of the battlestar in a blaze of blue-white light. Secondary explosions rippled across the immediate area as some of _Galactica's_ weapons batteries around the impact point detonated, a large silvery jet of atmosphere shot out into space through a gash the blast ripped in the old battlestars armoured skin.

**

* * *

Battlestar Galactica**

William Adama picked himself up from the floor where he had been thrown along with the president, and everyone else who'd been on their feet, when the nuke had exploded against the hull.

"Damage report Mr Kelly," he called across command and control to where Captain Kelly manned the damage control panel.

"Hull ruptured on decks one through three in sections twenty-seven through twenty-nine. Gun batteries six, seven and eight destroyed, dorsal flak batteries off line," Kelly reported.

"We're loosing atmosphere damage control teams on route."

"Keep me appraised."

"Yes, sir."

"Cylon raiders have reactivated sir, reading multiple signatures approaching from bearing two one seven," Lieutenant Gaeta reported. "Looks like there making a run for our dorsal surface."

"There hoping to fire missiles into the breach," Tigh said knowingly. "Adjust the ships position to deny them a clear run, direct all available flak fire towards them."

"Yes, sir," Gaeta replied, even as Adama nodded approvingly.

"Contact Vipers," he ordered to the communications technician who had replaced Dee while she was on maternity leave. "Have them cover our dorsal surface."

"Yes, sir."

"Sir a basestar is moving towards us," Gaeta called. "Looks like the plan on finishing us off." _Oh frak,_ Adama thought looking at the dradis screen.

He knew he was in a very bad tactical situation. He could turn the ship to bring their main batteries to bear on the approaching basestar, but in so doing he would expose _Galactica's_ vulnerable, damaged dorsal surface to the still quite large number of Cylon raiders that were flying about. If he didn't turn the basestar would blow them away, but if he did turn the ship the raiders would have clear shots to volley their own missiles at them.

He was caught in a classic catch-22 situation. And try as he might with all his tactical skill and imagination, he couldn't see anyway to get out of it. _We need a miracle,_ he thought in despair.

"Sir we're receiving a transmission from the _Avalon_," communications reported. "They say the cavalry is coming."

"What in name of the gods do the mean by that," Tigh asked.

"I don't know," Adama replied, suddenly feeling a weight being lifted off his shoulders. "But something tells me that we are about to find out."

**

* * *

THS Avalon**

**A Few Moments Earlier**

Captain Anton Ramirez frowned when he observed the situation that the _Galactica_ was in on his tactical hologram. He had been surprised and impressed by how powerful her main projectile weapons were. The ease with which they had shredded that basestar had surprised him no end as he was used to thinking of projectile weapons as weapons that were useless for ship to ship combat. Now it was obvious to him that they weren't, that in there own way heavy projectile weapons could be as dangerous as any energy weapon.

Now though _Galactica_ seemed to be in serious trouble, a number of her weapons had stopped firing after a nuclear blast to her hull. The Cylons had almost entirely recovered from the counter virus they'd sent to them after they endeavoured to yet again breach his ships mainframe. A number of raiders were moving towards her along with one of the capital ships in an obvious pincer movement designed to take advantage of the battlestar weakened state by attacking her one vulnerable side. _Oh no you don't,_ Anton thought.

"Helm put us between the _Galactica_ and the Cylon warship approaching her," Anton ordered. "Weapons lock positron beams and forward proton cannons onto that basestar."

"Aye, sir," came the replies from the respective stations.

"Sir we're receiving a long range transmission," communications reported. "The battlecruiser _Charybdis _under the command of a Captain Teresa McDowell reports that they are ready to jump to our location and wish to know our status."

"Inform the _Charybdis_ of the tactical situation," Anton replied grinning. He knew the name of the _Charybdis' _commanding officer; he'd met Teresa McDowell back at the academy when she'd been teaching starship combat tactics. "Provide jump coordinates next to the Cylon warship that's approaching the _Galactica_ and tell them to get their butts over here as quickly as they can."

"Aye, sir."

"Then inform the _Galactica_ that the cavalry is coming," Anton added his grin turning to a predatory smile. The Cylons were about to get the shock of their mechanical lives, a Legend-class battlecruiser was truly a sight to behold, especially when it was armed for battle.

"Aye, sir."

At that moment the _Avalon_ rocked violently as the other Cylon warship along with three raiders unloaded a barrage of nearly twenty nukes into the same section of the starboard shields.

"Starboard shield three at seventy percent," tactical reported.

"Is that warship within range of our starboard proton cannons?"

"Yes sir."

"Then teach them the error of their ways lieutenant."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

The _Avalon's_ four starboard proton cannon turrets rotated and locked onto the Cylon basestar, just as it fired another barrage of missiles at the ship. A moment later all four turrets opened up, sending golden energy projectiles streaking through space towards the Cylon vessel even as four more nukes vented there destructive fury uselessly against the starboard shields.

The proton blasts slammed into the Cylon basestar striking one of the projecting arms that gave the warship its distinctive star shape. Cylon armour vaporised under the impacts and the bolts when right through the ship, smashing and destroying as they went. The outer two thirds of the entire projecting arm snapped off as a massive explosion erupted on the basestar.

**

* * *

Command Basestar**

Aaron Doral staggered as his basestar rocked violently as the energy bolts fired by the _Avalon_ came in and struck with incredible force. Despite the headache pounding away in his skull – a legacy of the obviously ill-advised cyber attack – he was able to access the damage reports as they came in and recoiled in shock and surprise. An entire hanger arm nearly half a kilometre of ship had been ripped clean off and annihilated by the blasts.

For the first time since this disastrous affair of a battle had begun Aaron Doral felt fear. He knew his basestar wouldn't withstand many salvos of the thirteenth colony ships powerful particle weapons. They were far more powerful and destructive than the main guns on a Colonial battlestar – and those were bad enough – they would make short work of this ship. _How can we fight them? How can we carry out Gods will against someone with such incredible power,_ he thought.

A sudden change in the dradis readings caught his attention even as his ship rocked as another energy bolt slammed into them. A new target had just jumped in right up close to the basestar that had been heading for the _Galactica_, determined to finish her off and avenge the basestar she'd destroyed.

The newly arrived warship was massive, easily equalling a Colonial Mercury-class battlestar in size. For a moment Doral wondered if it could be another battlestar particularly the _Pegasus_ which had somehow escaped the destruction of the colonies and was now causing them a few problems with its raids on their convoys. The theory that the ship could be the _Pegasus_ was discounted in moments as additional details of the new warship registered on the sensors.

The new ship was of a completely different design to a battlestar, it seemed to share a number of design elements with the thirteenth colony warship. Though there were a number of differences as well, like there were differences between battlestar classes. The new ships energy emissions profile matched the thirteenth colony ships to a margin of 80, though these emissions were considerably more powerful. _Is this the thirteenth colony's equivalent of a battlestar,_ Doral thought noticing that the new arrival was beginning to deploy some kind of fighters.

The action drew the basestar next to it out of its stunned surprise at the newcomer's arrival. The number seven in command of the basestar launched a volley of nukes at the newcomer. Even if it were from the thirteenth colony the warship would have no chance of intercepting the warheads at such a close range.

Doral observed the nukes detonate as they impacted a shield that surrounded the new ship. He watched the blast waves fan out against the energy barrier of the shields which glowed brightly, white hot at the points where the missiles had hit the barrier. Feeling a chill inside Doral watched the newcomer return the basestars fire.

A strange blue-white energy beam flashed out from the newcomer – a beam there sensors reported to be composed of antimatter particles of some sort. The beam made contact with the basestar and instantly tore deep into the very core of the basestar. A massive explosion began to blossom around the beam as matter and antimatter met and began annihilating each other, and still the beam kept going. A moment after the initial impact the beam came out the other side of the basestar, bisecting it with lethal precision. Then it began to move, slowly sweeping down the basestar, steadily sawing it in half, all the while the antimatter reaction built in force, explosions tearing across the basestar.

Still the beam kept going until it found the basestars main power core and sliced it in half. It was too much for the basestar. Already wracked with explosions from the antimatter particles in the beam reacting with the hull the basestar came apart from within. The deadly explosion from the power core bursting outwards from the very core of the ship, completely enveloping the basestar from view, when it cleared the basestar was gone. Reduced to nothing more than a plume of superheated plasma and a few pieces of spinning, slowly disintegrating debris.

"My God," Doral muttered in shock for a moment. Then he squared his shoulders, he knew what he had to do now as distasteful as it was. With a quick mental command to the ships computer matrix he opened a communications link with the control room. "All ships retreat, fall back to emergency jump coordinates," he ordered.

"By your command," a Centurion responded immediately.

**

* * *

Lee's Viper**

Lee cursed as a particular Cylon raider dodged his latest attempt to nail it with his guns. The raider was obviously a bit more skilled at flying and combat than your average Scimitar and seemed to be anticipating his moves. As he fought with it Lee experienced a profound sense of déjà vu like he had fought this particular raider before. Even with his speed and reflexes seemingly boosted by the nanites this particular Scimitar was managing to just stay one step ahead of him.

"Come here you frakking toaster," he said to himself as he lined it up at last. "I have you now." He was about to pull the trigger to send the Scimitar to its doom when it was abruptly enveloped by white light before vanishing in the orange flash of a hyperlight jump. "Damn it," Lee shouted angrily looking around for another raider to vent his frustration on.

To see that they were all vanishing, jumping away at least most of them were. The one basestar that had been left had also vanished into nothingness; the Cylons were bugging out leaving behind their dead or dying fellows.

"Apollo do you see what I see," Starbuck asked over his commlink.

"Yeah I do looks like there running," Lee replied unable to keep a little frustration out of his voice.

"What's up Lee," Starbuck asked.

"It's nothing Starbuck," Lee replied. "I just finally managed to get a certain raider right in my sights when it jumped away."

"I know the feeling. Annoying isn't it?"

"Very," Lee agreed with feeling.

"What the frak. Apollo look at what the remaining raiders are doing," Starbuck said. Lee glanced at his dradis screen and swore under his breath. The handful of Scimitar raiders left behind by the Cylons – only about a dozen or so – had organised themselves into a squadron and were heading straight for the _Avalon_.

"There planning to ram the _Avalon,_" he said. He knew the _Avalon's_ shields were strong but the inertial force of a dozen raiders slamming into the shields at full speed on deliberate suicide runs would be enormous. He didn't know if her shields would be able to withstand the impacts.

"We've got to stop them," Starbuck said.

"That will not be necessary," a nice voice with a very strange accent said. A moment before a dozen fighters of unknown design streaked past the Vipers at extreme speed, speed that Vipers weren't capable of. One lingered back and turned to face Lee's Viper as the others chased after the Cylons and began shooting at them with fierce red energy pulses.

"Who are you?" Lee asked examining the fighter hovering in front of him. A fighter that he was sure was Terran and had come from that Mercury battlestar sized warship that had so recently appeared on the scene to swat a Cylon basestar as if it were a fly. It was a very sleek, powerful looking ship. A needle thin nose blended seamlessly into wide sweeping delta wings which mounted pulse lasers and missiles. A cockpit with opaque windows was set into the main hull.

"Flight Lieutenant Edward Marcel call sign Hopscotch, THS _Charybdis_ alpha squadron," the Terran pilot replied. "Proper introductions can wait until later. If you'll excuse I'm going to rejoin my squadron."

Without waiting for a reply Hopscotch turned his fighter away from Lee and shot off at extremely high speed towards the Cylon raiders heading for the _Avalon_. The speed of the Terran fighter stunned both Lee and Starbuck for a few moments.

"Wow those things are fast," Starbuck said. "I'm glad there on our side."

"So am I Kara," Lee replied. "So am I."

"So now what Apollo," Starbuck asked. "We just sit here and wait for the recall order from _Galactica_?"

"That's exactly what we do Starbuck," Lee answered.

"Copy that Apollo."

**

* * *

THS Charybdis**

**A Few Minutes Later**

Captain Teresa McDowell smiled as the tactical hologram hovering in front of her command chair showed the last Cylon raider being destroyed just short of _Avalon's_ shield perimeter. Not that a single fighter slamming into even a patrol cruisers shields would do any real harm beyond throwing a few people off there feet from the force of impact.

"Captain fighter leader reports all enemy targets destroyed," Lieutenant Senders reported from where he was coordinating all fighter activity with tactical. "Fighters are requesting instructions."

"Order our fighters to return to their bays," Teresa ordered.

"Aye, ma'am," Senders replied.

"Communications get me Captain Ramirez on the _Avalon_," Teresa ordered. "And be prepared to contact that big warship leading these supposed refugees. I will want to speak with them shortly."

"Aye, ma'am."


	8. Chapter Seven: Aftermath

**Chapter Seven: Aftermath**

**Battlestar Galactica**

**A Few Minutes Later**

A tense silence reigned in the combat information centre, broken only by the odd bit of comm. traffic coming in from the damage control crews and the background humming of the ships systems. Everyone in the room was aware of the fact that they had come within a hairs breath of being killed and only the timely arrival of the second Terran vessel had saved them.

That fact was more apparent to Commander William Adama than anyone else in the CIC. He kept his eyes on the dradis screen looking at the very large contact of the Terran battlecruiser, sitting silent in space off the fleet. Her fighters had disappeared, presumably having been taken back aboard, and her power emissions had dropped, which probably indicated that she'd lowered her shields. Looking at the contact he couldn't help but feel gratitude and a twinge of envy; though he didn't know a lot about the new warship – he didn't even know her name – it was already obvious that she was extremely powerful. _If only we had encountered these people before the Cylon attack,_ he thought, _then the colonies might not have died. And I would be bored out of my skull in retirement._

"Commander," the young man at communications called out. Not for the first time his voice sounding odd to William Adama considering he was so used to Dee being there, not over on Colonial One on maternity leave with her husband, Billy Keikeya. "Vipers are requesting orders sir," the officer continued.

William blinked for a moment, bringing himself back to reality. "Tell them to come on home," he ordered. There was no sense in keeping the Vipers deployed, they would be low on fuel and ammo by now and if on the off chance the Terrans planned aggression the Vipers would be no use anyway. "Order the fleet to stand down to condition two," he continued.

"Yes, sir."

"Mr Gaeta what are the Terran ships doing," William asked while the communications officer got on the line to Apollo to order the Vipers back to base.

"Both ships have lowered their shields, sir," Gaeta replied. "Weapons systems have also been powered down. I'm reading a lot of communications traffic between them."

"Probably the _Avalon_ bringing the other ship up to speed," Saul Tigh mused thoughtfully, before going back to where he was reading reports and plotting the damage to the _Galactica_ on the chart table. From his scowl William could tell it wasn't good.

"How bad is it," William asked.

"Aside from the hull breach we've got buckled supports and collateral damage in all dorsal side compartments," Saul replied. "We've lost the main power lines to the two topmost decks of the ship. The fire has been brought under control thankfully and should be out momentarily. The biggest problem is going to be the destroyed gun batteries, the compartments below them are completely open to space."

William winced, the breach in the hull and the loss of three of their main gun batteries was going to be a major problem. Especially replacing the weapons, if they didn't the _Galactica_ was going to have a major hole in her defences, a hole Cylon missiles could easily exploit. The problem was he didn't know if the fleet could muster the resources to replace the weapons and _Galactica's_ own spare parts store was almost depleted.

"Great," he muttered then spoke louder. "Colonel, start organising a repair schedule."

"Yes, sir," Saul replied and moved off to confer with Captain Kelly. William glanced at the chart again looking at the damage. _How many more times will we take damage like this,_ he thought, _hopefully not much longer if the Terrans agree to shelter us._

**

* * *

THS Charybdis**

**That Same Time**

"So you believe that these Colonials are telling the truth about being refugees," Captain Teresa McDowell said to Captain Anton Ramirez. The face and upper torso of the _Avalon's_ master was displayed on a holographic communications screen floating in front of her command chair on the _Charybdis_ bridge.

"Yes I do," Anton replied. "We've scanned the Colonial ships in great detail; many of the ships are showing signs of intense stress on their systems especially on their FTL drive systems and life support systems – many of the ships are pushing their life support capacity to the limit, their obviously carrying many more passengers than they were meant to. It's amazing that some of them are still flying; we've also detected evidence that many of the ships are short on supplies. Our scans of the _Galactica_ also confirm that her weapons stores are coming close to being depleted, in addition stress on _Galactica's_ space frame indicates that she's an old ship that has sustained considerable damage on numerous occasions, damage that has only been patched not fully repaired as would be the case if she had access to a space dock."

"I see," Teresa answered, making a mental note to order the Colonials scanned herself. It wasn't that she distrusted what Anton was saying, far from it, but she wanted to be sure that the readings were accurate. After all it was remotely possible that the Colonials had some sort of ECM that was feeding the _Avalon's_ sensors false information, ECM systems that would probably not have any effect at all on the much more powerful sensors of the _Charybdis_. Privately she doubted that the Colonials were advanced enough to fool even patrol cruisers sensors, from the looks of their vessels there technology was way behind, but her orders were clear.

"What about these Cylons," Teresa continued. "What is your impression of them?"

"Technologically there considerably more advanced than the Colonials are," Anton replied. "However their technology is way behind our own as well, however I wouldn't count on that being a decisive advantage for us should the Cylons choose to attack the Hegemony. The Cylons appear to have some skill at information warfare – they have tried on two occasions to penetrate our computer networks, on both occasions they had been unsuccessful but I wouldn't count on them not trying again with a more sophisticated worm program."

"What's your assessment of the threat they pose to us," Teresa asked, bearing in mind that Anton had fought the Cylons twice. He was in a much better position to give a reasonably accurate threat assessment than she was.

"If we go on straight technological terms the Cylons are no threat to us," Anton replied. "However from what Captain Adama told me when he was aboard my ship the Cylons are fanatical about destroying Humans wherever they can be found. If that is indeed the case then the Cylons could prove to be a danger."

"Hmm," Teresa said thoughtfully. "Very well send all data that your sensors and computers have gathered on the Cylons over here. We will include it with a data burst transmission to Sector Command, along with a recommendation that patrols on this area of the boarder be increased." Anton nodded to someone not directly in line with the comm. pickup.

"Captain we're receiving a data transmission from the _Avalon_," Lieutenant Steele reported from the operations console.

"Very good," Teresa responded, then addressed Captain Ramirez. "What were you planning on doing with these Colonials before the Cylons attacked?"

"I was going to go aboard the _Galactica_ and meet with their leader, a President Roslin and the _Galactica's_ commanding officer a Commander Adama," Anton answered "I believe that must still happen, we need to know a bit more about the Colonials before we can consider letting them into our territory."

"I agree," Teresa said. "Command also wants to know more about them before we take them to the base at Arlan. Very well here is what we shall do. Send me all the data that you have on the Colonials. Then I will arrange for us to go aboard the _Galactica_ either later today or tomorrow so we can meet with their leaders."

Anton nodded at someone not in line with the pickup, then spoke again. "The information is on its way over to you now," he said.

"Data received ma'am," Lieutenant Steele reported.

"Excellent," Teresa replied. "Thank you, captain."

"Your welcome I will see you soon, captain," Anton answered and broke the connection from his end. The holographic screen faded into non-existent. Teresa looked over at her operations officer.

"Transfer the information received from the _Avalon_ to the console in my quarters," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Lieutenant Steele replied.

"Communications contact the _Galactica._ Ask them when would be the best time for us to pay them a visit."

"Aye, ma'am," Ensign James said from the communications station, before activating the translatation system and hailing the battlestar. "This is the Terran Hegemony starship _Charybdis_ to the Colonial Battlestar _Galactica_, respond please. Repeat this is the Terran Hegemony starship _Charybdis_ to the Colonial Battlestar _Galactica_, respond please."

After a moment the small unit in James' ear crackled to life. "_Charybdis_ this is _Galactica_ actual," a powerful male voice answered, though the translation system eliminated any trace of an accent.

"Actual, Captain McDowell requests to come aboard your vessel to discuss the situation with the Cylons and possible sanctuary for your fleet in our space," James replied. "What would be the most optimal time for this to take place?"

For a few moments there was silence from the _Galactica_, and James guessed that whoever he was speaking to on the Colonial warship was considering the answer, either that or they were referring in higher up the chain of command. Finally though the voice identified only as actual – a very strange identification to James ears – came on the line again.

"I would advise that you would come aboard this vessel three hours from now," actual replied.

"Stand by," James advised and placed the connection on hold. "Captain," he called across the bridge. "The _Galactica_ has advised that we can go aboard there vessel three hours from now."

Teresa McDowell's eyebrows shot up in surprise at that. A face to face meeting on the _Galactica_ in three hours, that was very short space of time. Especially considering that the Colonials had just been through a battle with the Cylons and had sustained damage to the only warship in their fleet. It did tell her however that the Colonials were absolutely desperate for a meeting, presumably about getting sanctuary. It was a mark to indicate that they could indeed be telling the truth about being refugees.

"Agree to it," she ordered.

"Aye, ma'am," James replied and took the link with the _Galactica_ off hold. "_Galactica_ actual we agree to come aboard your vessel in three hours time."

"Excellent. I look forward to meeting your representatives," the voice from the _Galactica_ said. "_Galactica_ actual out." The connection with the _Galactica_ closed down with a soft bleep.

James looked back over at his commanding officer. "Transmission terminated with the _Galactica_ ma'am," he reported. "They will expect us to shuttle over three hours from now."

"Excellent. Then I better get ready," Teresa said standing up. "Commander Hawkins you have the con. I'll be in my quarters."

"Yes, ma'am," Brian Hawkins replied from the first officer station, even as Teresa turned away and made her way off the bridge.

**

* * *

Pilots Shower Room**

**Battlestar Galactica, A Few Minutes Later**

Captain Lee Adama sighed softly to himself as he stepped under an active showerhead and felt the warm streams of water play over his body. The warmth from the water immediately began seeping into his body, relieving tired muscles, though strangely he wasn't as tired now as he normally was after a major battle with the Cylons. In fact he barely felt any post adrenaline rush exhaustion at all.

Lee tried not to think about the reason why he didn't feel as tired as normal. He didn't want to think about the billions of tiny little machines in his body and what they had done or were doing to him right now. He could almost feel that the nanites were still doing something to him, what he didn't know and he wasn't sure how to describe that he knew they were doing something, he just knew. He knew he should tell somebody about it, maybe then they could contact the _Avalon_ or the _Charybdis_ for information about the nanites as they were Terran technology, but he wasn't sure how to.

With some effort he pushed those thoughts away and concentrated on giving himself a thorough wash. He reached out to grab a bar of soap but paused when he saw his right forearm. When he had been a child he'd had a very nasty accident on a pyramid court that had earned him a trip to the hospital, a scolding about not being careful from both his parents, and left him with a nasty scar on his forearm. But now the scar was gone, in its place was nothing but smooth skin that had no sign that it had ever been injured.

Standing nearby under the streams of another showerhead Kara Thrace frowned in concern when she saw Lee freeze. He was looking at his right forearm for some reason as if he was searching for something that had been there, or was looking at that scar of his, though why he would do that she had no idea as he had never done it before.

"Lee are you okay," she asked.

"I'm fine," Lee replied moving again and grabbing the soap. Though his words sounded convincing Kara could tell that something was bothering him. She had been around Adama men to long to be fooled, though she knew better than to call Lee on it here. She would talk to him later, when she could corner him somewhere alone. With a look that clearly said 'we'll talk about this later' she went back to having a much needed shower.

**

* * *

A Short Time Later**

Kara pushed open the door to one of the many pilots bunking areas that there were on the _Galactica_. She smiled when she saw that Lee was in the room, lying on his bunk in a thoughtful fashion, aside from him there was no one else was present. _Perfect,_ Kara thought entering the room and closing the door behind her, _now I can find out what's bothering Lee._

"Lee," she said moving over to where Lee was lying down. Lee did not respond to her or show any sign of having heard her, but Kara knew full well that he would have heard her. "Come on Lee what's wrong," she asked.

"Nothing," Lee answered softly not looking at her, instead keeping his eyes on the top of his bunk space. He could see it in away that he had never been able to before, every slight imperfection in the coatings of paint where it had slowly flaked off and been repainted over the years of _Galactica's_ service was visible to him. Coupled with small dents in the underlying metal, the faint adhesive residue patches, stains and cracks in the paint in gave the surface a landscape of its own.

"Don't give me that, Lee Adama," Kara answered forcefully in a tone that unknowingly mimicked William Adama's command tone. "I can tell something is bothering you, what is it? You've been I don't know _different_ ever since you came back from the _Avalon_."

Lee sighed softly as Kara spoke up. Of all the pilots that he had under his direct command as CAG he should have guessed that Kara would be the first to notice any differences in him. Given her history with his family, having been engaged to Zak before his death, she knew him better than the rest of the squadron did. The other pilots only saw what he wanted them to see after all, something that to his alternate relief and irritation was not possible with Kara Thrace.

"Because I am different now," Lee said softly.

Kara frowned in confusion. "What do you mean, Lee," she asked. "How are you different now? Did they do something to you when you were aboard the _Avalon_?"

Lee sighed and realised that he'd slipped up; he was going to have to tell Kara about the nanites now. He knew that Kara was like an attack dog; now that she knew that something had happened to him she would not get off his back until she knew what it was. Kara looked closely at Lee while she waited for him to answer her.

"Something did happen to you didn't it," she said. "They did do something to you. What did they do?"

"They saved my life, that's what they did," Lee answered. "When they took me aboard I was unconscious and dying of radiation poisoning." Kara's eyes widened, she had known that Lee had been in a bad way when he had been rescued by the Terran's but she had no idea he had been that bad. But how could he had been dying?

"Dying? But you look fine now."

"Because I am fine now, but the way they saved me is still affecting me," Lee answered. "Its changing me, I can feel it and to a degree I can see it. And the changes are going to be with me for the rest of my life."

"What do you mean your changing? What is happening to you Lee?"

Lee sighed, and showed Kara his right arm, since he was only wearing his pilots slacks as opposed to his flight suit or duty uniform his arm was bare. Looking at his arm Kara's eyes widened in shock and astonishment when she saw that his scar was gone, there was nothing their bar bare skin, skin that showed no signs of ever having been broken by anything.

"What? Where's your scar gone," Kara asked. Lee looked at her and though his face was calm and controlled she could see the faintest hints of fear in Lee's blue eyes. Before she could speak again she saw Lee frown.

"Kara what's that mark just under the edge of your hairline," Lee asked, he could clearly see a faint mark just below Kara's hairline; it was almost completely hidden by her fringe. Kara's eyes widened again.

"How, how can you see that," she said reaching up and checking to find her hair was largely covering her small but slightly embarrassing birthmark, no one had seen it before, not even Zak, so how was Lee seeing it?

"I can see a lot of things now that I couldn't see before," Lee replied. "Its one of the things about me that's changed or is still changing; so what is the mark?"

"It's a birth mark," Kara explained blushing slightly in embarrassment. "But don't you dare tell anyone about it."

"Don't worry my lips are sealed," Lee replied grinning.

"Good. Otherwise I would be forced to kick your ass," Kara answered, earning a laugh from Lee. _That's Kara through and through,_ Lee thought mentally shaking his head. Kara smiled, it was good to hear Lee laugh, he didn't do it often enough these days. But then Lee had always been dead serious for as long as she'd known him, it was rare she heard him laugh. In terms of his iron control on his emotions and expressions Lee was unquestionably his father's son.

"So why can you see things better, Lee," she asked him. "And why are you changing, and how. Aside from being able to see better and having that scar of yours disappear."

Lee sighed softly and sat up carefully so he could properly look Kara in the eye. "It's because of the way they saved me, Kara," he said. "From what I'm told I was to ill, the damage to my body to severe for the Terran's to deal with, with drugs alone. So they put some of their technology inside of me to save me, technology that I'm now dependent on to stay alive. If the technology was removed I would slip into a coma and die."

"You… you mean you have a machine of some kind inside of you," Kara asked.

"Not a machine singular but machines," Lee replied. "Billions of tiny biomechanical machines called nanites. They repaired the damage and supposedly they enhance your abilities, I knew that and thought I accepted it when they told me. But now…"

"Now that you can feel that somethings happening to you your having second thoughts," Kara said, resisting the impulse to pull away from Lee. Something from deep inside her was screaming that he was becoming something similar to a Cylon and might not be the person she knew for much longer. But she fought it, she couldn't even comprehend the idea of Lee ever betraying them, albeit unknowingly, he wasn't a Cylon and she refused to believe that he would ever become anything like them.

"To be fair they didn't ask me if I wanted to have these things in me," Lee answered. "They just put them in me, they told me afterwards that it was the only way to save my life and I am grateful to be alive. But the way I'm feeling I can't help but wonder what I am going to become. Am I still going to be me when the nanites are done with what there doing to me?"

"Of course you will be," Kara said putting as much convincing reassurance behind her words as possible, hiding her own concerns about what was happening to Lee, and the strange irrational fear that he might become similar to the toasters, expertly. Lee didn't need to know about her own fears on the subject, he obviously had enough on his plate.

"How can you be sure, Kara?" Lee asked. "You don't know anything about nanotechnology."

"That's right I don't," Kara replied. "But I know you. Regardless of what these nanites do to your body I know you'll still be Lee Adama."

Lee smiled softly. "Thanks, Kara," he said standing up, only to wobble back onto the bed as a wave of dizziness momentarily rippled through his head.

"Hey you okay," Kara asked.

"Yeah," Lee replied shaking off the after effects. "Dizzy there for a second, must have gotten up to fast."

"You sure," Kara questioned noticing that Lee's cheeks had suddenly lost a little bit of colour.

"I'm sure I'm fine," Lee answered.

"Okay. So did they give you an ideas what these nanites would do to you when you were aboard the _Avalon_?"

"They did tell me what the end effects were."

"Like?"

"Like a lengthened lifespan, superhuman strength and speed, improved senses, greater ability to heal" Lee answered not noticing that his breathing was becoming slightly laboured as a strange weakness hit him making his limps feel like someone had attached lead weights to them. Kara looked at Lee in growing concern. She could see that he had gone almost deathly pale and seemed to be starting to sweat.

"That's it," she said. "You need to go and see Dr Salik. Something is obviously very wrong with you."

"I think your right," Lee admitted awkwardly standing up but swaying as balance suddenly seemed to escape him. Cautiously he took a step forward but it seemed to take an extraordinary amount of effort to move. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears and a strange grey haze was encroaching on his vision.

"Lee," Kara said in concern, though to Lee her voice seemed to come from a very long way away. Lee looked over at her to see Kara looking at him with worry etched on her face, then his vision swum with rainbow colours. He felt himself falling, faintly he felt Kara catch him, preventing him slumping to the deck.

Then he knew no more.


	9. Chapter Eight: The Return Part One

**A Journey's End**

**Chapter Eight: The Return Part One**

**Pilots Sleeping Quarters**

**Battlestar Galactica**

Kara Thrace's eyes widened in shock and concern when Lee Adama began to fall, consciousness deserting him for some reason, quickly she darted in and caught him. Immediately she grunted as she felt Lee's full dead weight against her, in her awkward position it was too much and she lost her footing and ended up flat on her back on the deck, with Lee across her. The impact knocked with wind from her lungs and for a moment she lay there gasping, struggling to regain her breath.

As she got her breath back she awkwardly started to move Lee off of her, rolling him over onto his side then onto his back. It was incredibly difficult to move him, her angle was awkward and Lee was heavy, heavier than he should be. That realisation gave her pause, Lee shouldn't be that heavy, he felt like he had gained quite a bit more weight yet he didn't look like he had, he looked just the same.

No that was wrong; as she managed to turn Lee over onto his back and free herself she felt a difference in him. His body which had been compact and muscular like a gymnast for as long as she'd known him, felt strange. Lee's muscles felt hard, very, very hard, impossibly hard, implying immense strength, and as she looked at his bare arms and the way his shirt clung to him she noticed an increase in the definition that had always been there, though not a particularly big increase, indeed it was quite easy to miss. For a moment Kara wondered why Lee felt and subtly looked different, and then she remembered what they had just been talking about, especially Lee telling her about the billions of tiny machines inside his body. _They've done this to him,_ Kara thought, _the nanites. This must have been what he meant when he said he could feel he was changing. Frak what are those things doing to him altogether._

Noticing how pale Lee was and the fact that he seemed to be sweating Kara shook herself out of the thoughts of how he looked and felt different, and the reason as to why. Instead she reached out a grabbed his shoulders, subtly noticing that his shoulder muscles were almost steel like in hardness, and tried to rouse him from his current state.

"Lee, wake up," she said shaking him. "Lee." Lee did not respond, and Kara noticed that he was hot, dangerously hot almost like he was running a fever. Leaping to her feet she dove across the distance to the bulkhead mounted phone and picked it up off it stand. Quickly she tapped in the code for the medical bay. "Medical emergency senior pilots bunking," she said into the phone then hung up, before picking up a small bowl and moving across the passageway to the closest washroom.

A few moments later she returned with a bowl filled with cold water and a flannel to find Lee still sprawled on the floor where she'd left him, and looking worse than before if that was at all possible. Her keen hearing clearly picked up the sound of laboured breathing, breathing that bordered on Lee hyperventilating.

"Hang on, Lee," she said dropping gently to her knees beside him and put the bowl of water down beside her. "Helps coming, your going to be alright."

Even as she spoke she gently wet the flannel and wrung out excess water before gently wiping the damp cloth over Lee's face and neck to try and cool him down. The heat coming off Lee was tremendous and his skin was dry almost as soon as she finished wiping the flannel over him. Kara scowled when it seemed to have no effect on the dangerous amount of heat Lee was giving off. _Think I'm going to need to wipe water over a greater area of his body,_ she thought.

"Sorry, Lee. I have to take off your shirt," she said, grinning despite the situation. If Lee had been conscious and seen her about to do this he would be major embarrassed. He might have afterwards had her stuck doing paperwork as punishment but the fun and thrill of see Lee Adama topless would have been worth it.

Still grinning slightly Kara carefully took Lee's top off leaving him naked from the waste up, as he eyes fell on his bare torso she whistled appreciatively. If she hadn't known that it was the nanites doing something to him she would have assumed Lee had been hitting the weights more in the gym. Every muscle on his torso was more sharply defined and toned than she had ever seen them, Lee's abs normally almost invisible beneath a layer of body fat were clearly defined and chiselled. Almost instantly Lee seemed to be sporting a physique that any guy Kara knew would die for. It certainly made him even more appealing to her than he had already been.

Mentally Kara slapped herself to get her mind back out of gutter it had started to descend into. She could fantasise about being together with Lee Adama later, right now she had to focus on her task of trying to cool him down. Carefully she started wiping the damp flannel over him trying to dissipate the immense heat coming off him.

How long she continued wiping Lee down for she didn't know, but abruptly she heard running footsteps and stopped what she was doing. She looked over at the door just in time to see a medical team lead by Doctor Salik herself come racing into the room. Despite the situation Kara was still not used to seeing Pauline Salik instead of Jack Cottle – _Galactica's_ original CMO had died last year of heart failure, Doctor Salik – who'd been on one of the civilian ships – had taken his place.

"What happened," Doctor Salik demanded.

"We were talking, then he just collapsed," Kara replied. "He's been fiercely hot for the last few minutes, I've been trying to cool him down but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Doc I think those nanite things the Terrans put in him are responsible."

"So he told you about those did he," Salik replied with a smile. In her relatively brief period of time on the _Galactica_ she had already learned that fleets best pilot and the oldest, only surviving son of the old man were very close friends and told each other most things. Consequently she wasn't surprised that Lee had told Kara about the nanites inside of him.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if they are to blame," she continued. "There is so much we don't know about the nanite technology, but I doubt the Terrans would have put them in him if it were dangerous in any way. Now please stand back, lieutenant and let us work. If you want something to do then please call the old man, fill him in then tell him we'll stabilise Captain Adama as much as we can before getting him to the medical bay. Ask can he contact one of the Terran warships, if what you suspect is true and Lee's condition is nanite related were going to need there help."

Kara nodded and stood up. She looked down at Lee again for a moment, giving him a worried glance, he looked so helpless, so pale and weak. It was hard reconciling the image before her with the strong man she normally knew him to be. Forcing herself to look away from Lee, she made her way across to the phone and dialled the number for CIC, she was not going to enjoy telling the old man that his only surviving son had just keeled over unconscious and was running a high fever for no apparent reason. No she was not going to like telling William Adama that at all.

* * *

**CIC**

**A Few Minutes Later**

Commander William Adama stood stock still for a few moments, the phone feeling cold in his hands, Starbuck's words echoing through his mind. Lee had fallen unconscious next to his bunk and was running a high fever. The news filled him with both very personal and very professional concern. Personal because Lee was at the end of the day first and foremost his son and the only family William had left alive. Professional because Lee was the CAG and oversaw all fighter operations on the _Galactica_. On top of that Starbuck had already let slip that she suspected that the nanites in Lee were responsible for his condition – a suspicion that he could understand and shared.

From the moment that Lee had said about the nanites there had been a suspicion, a fear at the back of his mind that there was a downside to them being a part of Lee. Now it seemed that suspicion was coming true, the nanites had incapacitated him for some reason. Were they killing him? Were they altering Lee somehow? If they were altering him then would Lee still be Lee when he woke up? Assuming he ever did wake up. _He'll wake up William,_ he told himself, _Lee's an Adama, a fighter, too stubborn to give into anything._ _But who will he be, will he be a stranger who happens to look like your son, or will he be the same person that he has always been._

William blinked when he heard that Starbuck was speaking again, he forced himself to pay attention, when all the concerned father in him wanted to do was race down to medical bay to meet Dr Salik's party when they arrived with Lee.

"Doctor Salik is asking can we hail one of the Terran vessels, sir," Starbuck said. "The nanites are their technology after all. If something has gone wrong with them – like it must have done – then we're going to need their help." William also heard the unspoken part of that statement the part that said, 'if we're to save Lee's life'.

"Alright, Starbuck," he replied. "I'll see to it. In the meantime I want you to accompany Doctor Salik to the medical bay. Keep an eye on things until I can get there myself."

"Yes, sir," Starbuck answered. William put the phone down and turned to communications, all the while thinking which Terran warship he should contact, the _Avalon_ or her bigger sister the _Charybdis_, but then settled on the _Avalon_, they had more experience with Lee and had saved him before. The truth was he trusted Captain Ramirez more than Captain McDowell, though he hadn't met either face to face yet.

"Communications," he ordered. "Contact the _Avalon_; I need to speak with her commanding officer regarding an urgent matter."

"Yes, sir," the duty communications officer replied and started the process of hailing the smaller of the two Terran warships, holding station off the Colonial Remnant.

"What's going on, Bill," Colonel Saul Tigh asked, looking up from over the other side of the dradis table where he was still coordinating damage control activities. William started to open his mouth to reply, when communications spoke up.

"Sir the _Avalon_ has responded," the officer said. "Captain Ramirez is on the line for you."

William nodded and picked up the phone. "Captain Ramirez," he said in greeting.

"Hello Commander Adama," Captain Anton Ramirez replied. "I understand you wished to speak to me."

"Yes, captain," William answered. "We need your help, especially for my CAG, something's happened and my doctor suspects that the nanites are responsible."

"I see. If you wait a few moments, commander I will get my chief medical officer on the line," Ramirez responded. "His assistance will probably be required. I'll have to put you on hold until he gets to the bridge."

"That's fine," William said. The signal gave a soft bleep just as he noticed that Saul Tigh was giving him a look that clearly communicated the question of what as up with Lee, and what were nanites.

Inwardly William sighed as he realised that with all the excitement, desperation and terror of the battle with the Cylons and the aftermath he hadn't told his alcoholic, technophobic executive officer anything about the nanites that were now inside of Lee. To be fair he hadn't had much of a chance, and he was a little worried about how Saul would react. He hadn't seen the look in Lee's eyes and didn't have the instinct deep inside that had told William that despite the presence of the tiny little machines, Lee was still Lee. Or had been, whether he would still be the same person next time he saw his son he didn't know. Saul's reaction to the nanites was likely to be extreme and it made him a little weary of telling his old friend about them.

He didn't have long to ponder how to tell Saul about the nanites or how he would react, as with a soft bleep the communications link with the _Avalon_ came back to life. "Commander Adama," a different, deeper voice, a voice that was very warm and compassionate said. "I'm Doctor Virgil Pike, how can I be of assistance?"

"I hope you can help," William answered and began to explain the exact nature of the problem they were facing with Lee.

* * *

**Medical Bay**

**A Few Moments Later**

Pauline Salik looked worriedly down at Lee Adama as they rushed him into the _Galactica's_ medical facilities. Though his condition had stabilised and he had cooled down a bit in the last few minutes he wasn't improving otherwise, his skin was still deathly pale and he appeared to be in a comatose state. A coma that to her showed signs of being like a diabetic coma but Lee Adama wasn't a diabetic, and their was no history of the condition in the family as far as she knew.

"Get a glucose drip set up," she ordered one of the orderlies as with two others and Kara Thrace they transferred Lee from the stretcher onto the closest bed. Kara took a few steps back and watched as they worked on Lee; one of the med techs came over and inserted the feed for a drip into Lee's right arm, before starting to carefully connect Lee up to a drip that would hopefully reverse whatever was wrong with him.

Kara watched with a sense of complete and total helplessness, the hustle and bustle of the medical techs as they worked to connect Lee up to monitors and attach the drip was completely alien to her. It was so different to the controlled chaos of the hanger deck that she was used to that it barely registered on her consciousness. She wished there was something more she could do to help, but she knew she was out of her depth in this place, and that there was nothing more that she could do. Except pray that Lee recovered quickly from whatever was wrong with him, whatever the nanites in his blood and cells had done or were doing to him.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention and she looked over at the door to the medical bay, just as Commander Adama came through. Turning in place Kara made straight for her commanding officer who was also a bit of a father figure to her. Though it was hidden behind an impassive mask she could see that William Adama was as worried as any father would be for his comatose son, though there was something else there, something that looked like hope.

"Doctor Salik," William called out as Kara came to stand next to him, her posture radiating concern for anyone who could see through the tough, no nonsense Starbuck exterior to the woman underneath. Kara was worried about Lee, that was obvious as was he but thanks to talking with Doctor Pike he had a very good idea what the problem was and what they needed to do to help Lee recover.

"Yes, sir," Salik asked coming over. "Did you speak to the Terrans?"

"I have," William replied. "From the symptoms I described to him the doctor who treated Lee on the _Avalon_ – a Doctor Pike – told me that that Lee's going through a common occurrence for Terrans if they go to long without food."

"Blood sugar collapse," Doctor Salik said knowingly. "I figured that might well be the case, I've just gotten a glucose drip attached so hopefully Lee's condition will start improving. But surely it's too soon for this to have occurred."

"Maybe not," Kara admitted. "Before he collapsed Lee told me that he felt different, that something in him was changing, frak just looking at him you can tell he's changed physically at the very least. Maybe where the nanites have been working inside him they've used much more energy than they should have done in such a period of time."

"Changed how," William demanded.

"Most of his body fat has burned away," Doctor Salik answered. "If you look you can see every single one of his muscles clearly with almost no fat their at all. The old scar on his right forearm has vanished as if it was never there – along with every other scar and mark on his body. In addition he feels different."

"Different," William repeated his mind reeling at Doctor Salik's words even as he started moving to look at Lee himself. As he got closer he immediately noticed the differences in Lee's appearance, especially the fact that Lee was now ripped to the bone, almost all body fat having been burned away by the nanites, something that Dr Pike had told him to expect as if they needed it the nanites would have raided body fat stores for additional energy.

"Muscular density appears to have improved considerably," Dr Salik replied. "But I cannot be sure until I run some scans."

"Keep me appraised, doctor," William ordered.

"I will," Salik answered a moment before a soft groan came from the bed, drawing everyone's attention; Lee's colour had improved though he still looked quite pale. Slowly he moved slightly in the bed again and emitted another soft groan as he shift in his coma-like sleep, trying to get himself comfortable. Then he settled again and didn't move beyond the normal involuntary movements that accompanied breathing.

"I thought he was going to wake up then," Kara said. "Come around with the same speed he fell into this… this coma."

"So did I," Salik admitted before looking at the readings on the monitors. "Heart rate and blood pressure are starting to rise back towards normal, that's remarkably quick." She looked at the drip bag on its stand and blinked when she saw how quickly it was emptying, instead of slowly dispensing into Lee's body the glucose solution was being drawn in at a phenomenal rate, almost like it was being pulled in by a pump, the bag was already a third empty.

"Set up another glucose bag," she ordered one of the med techs. "It's working."

"Yes doctor."

William paid little attention to what Doctor Salik was saying, just by looking at Lee he could tell that his condition was improving constantly. _Dr Pike was right,_ he thought thinking back on what the Terran doctor had told him about what was needed to get Lee back on his feet. The glucose drips were providing what he needed to get his blood sugar level up enough for him to recover.

At that moment an alarm klaxon began to wail throughout the _Galactica_. William felt like groaning as he made his way over to the phone on the wall. _Gods not the Cylons again,_ he thought picking up the phone and calling combat.

"Combat this is the commander," he said. "Sit-rep."

"Another ship just jumped in, Bill," Saul Tigh responded. "Configuration unknown but power signatures match those of the Terran vessels. Shall we launch the alert fighters?"

William considered for a few moments before responding. The Terrans hadn't said anything about another ship arriving, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. "No," William said. "Hold the alert fighters. I'm on my way up; send a message to the new arrival asking them to state their identity and purpose."

"Yes, sir," Saul responded. William put the phone down and looked over at Doctor Salik.

"I'll let you know the moment Captain Adama regains consciousness, sir," Salik said in answer to the silent question.

William nodded then turned and left the room, silently cursing the turn of events that made his presence required in CIC. He would have much preferred staying in the medical centre until Lee woke up but duty required his presence elsewhere. Kara watched him leave, then turned to look back at Lee for a moment torn between her concern for her friend and her curiosity to know what was happening. Why a third Terran vessel had arrived at this place and time. Eventually curiosity won out and she left the room herself, promising herself to return as soon as found out why the third ship was here.

* * *

**CIC**

**A Few Minutes Later**

"Report," William Adama ordered as he arrived in the _Galactica's_ command centre. "What's the status of the third Terran ship?"

"There has been a lot of communications chatter between the new ship and the other two Terran ships," Tigh replied. "The new vessel did respond to our request for identification. She has identified herself as the deep space exploration vessel _Magellan_."

"Did they say why they are here," William asked.

"Apparently they've been looking for us," Tigh answered. "The _Magellan_ has been to what's left on the Twelve Colonies during their exploration mission, they found out about us somehow and have been trying to track us down ever since."

"Commander," communications called out to the stunned William Adama.

"Yes," William replied shaking off his surprise at the revelation that the _Magellan_ had been looking for them. The question was for how long had the _Magellan_ been looking for them.

"We're receiving a hail from the _Magellan,_ sir," communications answered. "Their asking to speak with you, sir, by name."

"Put it on speakers," William ordered.

"Yes, sir." The overhead speakers crackled for a moment as they came to life then the light over the phone on the side of the dradis table came on.

William picked up the phone and spoke into it. "This is Commander Adama," he said. "To whom am I speaking?"

"Sir, I must say it's very good to hear your voice again," a half forgotten voice from the past said over the connection. The voice of a member of the crew who had voluntarily remained on Caprica in the immediate aftermath of the Cylon attack. Hearing his voice again almost made William drop the phone in shock and disbelief.

The voice was the voice of Lieutenant Karl 'Helo' Agathon.


End file.
